UNDER HAND-GLASSES. 75 



Covering at night and uncovering in the 

 morning have already been touched upon ; but 

 from the importance of covering, I must add, 

 that there are but few nights in the year, when 

 it may not be beneficial to do so, as neither the 

 melon nor the cucumber will thrive properly, 

 when the heat differs greatly during the night 

 from that of the day, unless artificial means be 

 adopted to insure the necessary evenness of the 

 temperature, which can only be done by judi- 

 cious covering. Cover, therefore, about an hour 

 before sunset, and uncover about an hour after 

 sunrise, reference being had to the state of the 

 atmosphere. 



