14 ON THE CULTURE OP THE CUCUMBER 



sweet, shut the lights down close for three or four 

 hours ; then take a lighted candle in a lantern, 

 push down one of the lights, and put the candle 

 and lantern into the frame, and if the candle 

 continue to burn, the bed will be in a fit state to 

 receive the plants or seed. 



As to soil it is well known that cucumbers 

 will grow in any soil, if it be moderately light 

 and rich, and supported by proper heat and 

 moisture, in the summer or spring months ; 

 but in winter I have found the purer the soil 

 the better. 



In the year 1811, I used the turf or peat ob- 

 tained from Wanstead Flats, in Essex, which 

 contained a great quantity of white sand. This 

 turf was chopped with a spade moderately small 

 but not sifted ; and in this the plants were 

 grown without the admixture of any other 

 soil. The plants thus treated proved as fine 

 as I have ever had them since ; and I cut fruit 

 from them, in perfection, in the first week in 

 February. The frames were raised in June to 



