MARCH] THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 189 



Or pots of strawberry plants kept in moderate dung hot-beds to 

 forward them, may be removed in successive order into the hot-house; 

 they will produce a supply of early fruit in regular succession. 



M A E C H . 



THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 



THE weather in this month, both in the middle and eastern States, 

 is very unsettled; sometimes it proves dry and frosty, sometimes 

 tolerably warm and comfortable, at other times cold ana wet, with 

 storms of strong winds, hail, snow and rain ; which make a diligent 

 attendance on the hot-beds absolutely necessary; otherwise, they often 

 miscarry, and all the preceding trouble and expense are lost. 



Let me here observe, that snow ought never to be suffered to re- 

 main but as short a time as possible, either on the hot-bed lights, 

 covers, or about the beds ; for the cold produced thereby, often pene- 

 trates through a slight covering, especially if there is not a strong 

 bottom heat, and produces a kind of hoar-frost in the inside of the 

 frame, which seldom fails to do considerable injury ; and likewise, 

 when suffered to lodge round the beds, it causes a sudden decline of 

 the heat. 



CARE Or EARLY CUCUMBERS AND MELONS. 



Examine the state of the cucumber and melon hot-beds, and see if 

 they are of a proper degree of heat, so as to preserve the plants in a 

 state of free growth. 



You must let the heat be lively, but moderate, by which means 

 the ridged-out plants of good growth will show fruit plentifully, and 

 these will swell freely and grow to a handsome size. 



If you find the heat declined, apply a lining of fresh horse-dung, 

 as directed in January, page 25, to which I refer you for general in- 

 structions on this subject. 



Let the plants have fresh air every day, by raising the upper end 

 of the glasses from about half an inch to one or two inches in height, 

 in proportion to the heat of the bed and warmness of the weather ; 

 always more freely in sunny, calm, mild days, than when cloudy or 

 a sharp external air; and when the weather changes colder, diminish 

 the admission of air or shut down the glasses ; and always shut close 

 in proper time towards evening, about three or- four o'clock, &c., ac- 

 cording to the temperature of the weather. 



Refresh them now and then with water ; let this be given very 

 moderately, and in a mild sunny day ; the best time for doing this is 

 from ten to two o'clock. 



Cover the glasses with mats every afternoon as soon as the sun is 



