504 



CULTURE OF THE CUCUMBER IX PITS. 



the pit was filled with proper soil and vines planted in it, there could not be 

 a better house for an early crop of grapes. Length, 30 feet ; width, 8 feet; 

 height at back, 7 feet, at front, 4 feet. A flue to run first to the front, and 

 return under the back wall, with cavities of 2^ inches. The space between 

 the flues to have gutters for the pipes from a boiler, with a power of filling 

 and emptying the gutters at pleasure ; so as to have a command of either 

 dry or moist air, as either may be wanted. The floor of the pit may be 

 supported on arches, or it may be made of planks, or of slates or tiles, 

 resting on joists. The pit to be filled with mould, sand, or sawdust, accord- 

 ing as it may be desired to grow the plants in pots or in the free soil. A 

 trellis may be made to hook on the rafters, on which to train the plants. 

 The upper surface of the pit to be two feet from the glass, and the trellis 

 to be one foot from the glass. (Gard. May. 184], p. 311.) 



1071. Corbett's cucumber-pit, Fig. 356, is heated with hot water circu- 

 lated in open troughs, which, however, have covers for being put on when a 

 dry heat is wanted. The mode of heating by water in open gutters, as we 



Fig, 356. Cucumber or Melon Pit, heated by hot water in open troughs. 

 The scale 4 of an inch to a foot. 



a, Outer walls. 



b, Walls of the pit. 



c, Gutters, or troughs for heating the 



atmosphere. 



d y Troughs under the soil in the open 

 chamber (w), which is air- tight, 

 resting on the openings (0), which 

 convey the cooled air from the front 

 walk to the trough at the back, to be 

 heated ; these openings being intro- 

 duced at regular distances of 4ft. or 

 5ft. 



y, Walks round the bed. 



ff } Shelf for plants. 



h } Trellis for training the plants. 



i, Descending return-pipe, which is a 

 common 6-inch pipe. 



k, The trough at entering, which is closed 

 from the boiler till it reaches c. 



/, Shewin's conical boiler, or the modifi- 

 cations of it by Stephenson or Weeks. 



n, Air-chamber; the air of which is always 

 at the point of saturation. 



n, The soil, or other material, in which 

 the plants are planted. 



have seen (515), is strongly recommended by Mr. Glendinning, as it is by 

 Mr. Lymburn on account of the great radiating powers of water, which are 

 equal to those of lamp-black, which is to polished iron as 100 is to 15. 

 Mr. Duncan, from whose Treatise on Cucumber Culture the section, fig. 



