SECT. XIV. OF RAISING CUCUMBERS. 



sun, if the season is advanced, and especially whea 

 the bed is hot : Give air in these cases freely. 



Attend to the weather, and if rain, snow, or wind, 

 is either of them likely to chill the bed much, provide 

 against it in time, by laying straw round ; and if the 

 heat naturally declines much, line, &c. as directed^ 

 page 184, in order to recover and keep it up, for the 

 plants will soon be spoiled, or lost, if the bed gets 

 cold. They are to grow in the pots till their first 

 rough leaves are two or three inches broad. When 

 there is only one in a pot, a plant (upon a pinch) may 

 grow in it till it blossoms. 



Use water (soft) but moderately at first, till the 

 roots get spread about the pot, and then wet the 

 shanks of the plants as little as can be helped, if the 

 season is early, or there is little sun. When the 

 roots are got to the bottom of the pot, take care to 

 water to the bottom ; but over-much watering of 

 young plants makes them sickly. Once a week, at 

 an early season, will be sufficient, except the heat is 

 very strong in the bed, and the weather very sunny : 

 the water must be in a small degree warm, and given 

 in the morning towards the middle of the day. Shut 

 them close for half an hour. 



If the seed bed is not likely to hold the plants so 

 long as directed, (or nearly) in a free growing state, 

 an intermediate bed should be made in time to receive 

 them ; for it is not proper to plant them out into the 

 fruit-bed too soon, lest there be a failure in keeping 

 up its heat to set the fruit, and bring it on. Thii 

 intermediate bed " should be made of proportiQnate 

 strength, for the time it is wanted, and may do at 

 two and a half, or three feet thick ; nor need there 

 be any great objection to an intermediate bed, as it 

 tends to insure success, and brings the plants on faster, 

 and saves trouble in keeping up the heat ot tiie seed 

 bed. ' 



