Or RAISING CUCUMBERS. SECT. XIV. 



off. Soon after this operation, the plant thickens, 

 and will push for runners again, which the stopping 

 is designed to dispose them to ; and the effect also is 

 an earlier and more plentiful bearing. The practice 

 of stopping is again to be performed upon the first 

 runners when they have three joints without shewing 

 fruit. 



The fruit bed comes now, and it should be made 

 of good materials, duly prepared, and well put toge- 

 ther, towards four feet thick. It ought not to be of 

 a size less than for a two-light, but better for a three- 



light frame ; as the heat is more certainly to be kept 

 up a proper length of time, in a full sized frame, 

 without which all the previous labour is lost. Prepa- 

 rations must be made for this bed at least a fortnight 

 before it is wanted, in the way directed in the last 

 section. 



Before earthing, take care that the burning heat is 

 over, and that the mould to be used be properly dry. 

 Lay it all over the bed riot more than three inches 

 thick, (for reasons given, page 191) making hills 

 where the plants are to be set about twelve or four- 

 teen inches depth. A two-light bed (of proper ma- 

 terials) will not be ready for moulding in less than a 

 week or ten days from making ; nor a three-light in 

 less than ten days or a fortnight. But if it should be 

 desired to plant out quick, on account of the-' seed 

 bed having got cold, a security from burning the 

 plants is found in forming a hole in the bed, where 

 the plants are to be, two inches deep, and about a 

 foot, or fifteen inches over, and filling up with fresh 

 'cow-dung ; through this the heat will not burn, and 

 if it catches the other parts of the bed, the disease 

 may be easily remedied, in the way before-mentioned, 



without disturbing the plants. Some gardeners place 

 turf under the plants, with the grass downwards, 



*to prevent excess of heat; and it helps to keep the 



9 



