MARCH] THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 191 



sight from the males; the former having always the embryo fruit 

 placed immediately under the base of the flower; or in other words, 

 the embryo fruit issues forth with the flower-bud on its top, visible 

 from its first eruption from the stem of the plant; but the male 

 blossom is placed immediately on the top of its footstalk without 

 any appearance of fruit under its base. 



The same operation of impregnating or setting the fruit, as above, 

 may also be practised on melons, which will have the same effect as 

 in cucumbers ; but as melons are only eatable when ripe, it will be 

 five or six weeks longer before they attain full size and mature ripe- 

 ness. 



SOW CUCUMBER AND MELON SEED. 



Sow in the above, or any new made hot-beds, the seeds of cucum- 

 bers and melons, at the beginning, and also about the middle, and 

 towards the latter end of this month, to have a supply of young 

 plants in readiness, either to plant into new beds, or to supply the 

 place of such plants as may fail. 



The sorts of cucumbers are the early Kenyon's free-bearer, Syon 

 House, and Walker's improved. 



But the Early Short Prickly and Long Green Prickly, are com- 

 monly cultivated for the early and general crop, the short prickly 

 being the earliest, and are, therefore, often sown for the first crop in 

 the frames ; but the Long Green Prickly is 1 the best to sow for a main 

 crop, either for the hand-glasses, or in the natural ground ; it being 

 both a plentiful bearer in long continuance, and the fruit attains the 

 most handsome regular growth, six or eight to ten or twelve inches 

 in length. 



MAKING NEW HOT-BEDS TO TRANSPLANT CUCUMBERS, ETC. 



Make hot-beds the beginning of this month to plant the cucumber 

 or melon plants upon, which were sown the latter end of January, or 

 any time in February; make the beds very substantial, fully three 

 feet and a half or four feet high, having the dung previously pre- 

 pared as directed in January, page 21, which will prevent a violent 

 heat taking place after its being made; let the cucumber or melon 

 plants be planted therein, and managed as directed in that month 

 and in February. 



There are many gardeners and others who cannot conveniently 

 procure dung to begin to make hot-beds for cucumbers or melons at 

 an early season. Where that is the case, it is not too late to begin 

 now; and a hot-bed may be made the beginning or any time of the 

 month, and the seeds of cucumbers and melons sown therein; the 

 cucumbers from this sowing will be fit to cut towards the end of 

 April, be in full bearing the beginning of May, and will continue 

 fruiting a long time. The melons will come to perfection in June 

 and July. 



