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Mr. Nicol has well remarked, that the defi- 

 ciency of' this gentle moist heat is the reason 

 why b;;rk hot-beds are less useful for raising the 

 early crops, but highly serviceable in the late 

 ones, as they have the effect of " drying off the 

 external damps which are then prevalent," and of 

 course hasten the maturity of the fruit. In 

 other cases, the plants " are impatient in a dry 

 fire heat." 



The chief objections to the employing of the 

 steam of boiling water in the forcing of Cu- 

 cumbers, are the great difficulty of keeping the 

 heat up in a regular manner, and the vast trouble 

 that attends it. 



The principal inconveniences that have been 

 met with in the forcing of this fruit on dung 

 hot-beds, are the danger of injuring the plants 

 by too much heat, and that of their being blanch- 

 ed by the rank steam that mostly abounds. In 

 order to obviate these inconveniences, it has 

 been attempted to raise these fruits on the beds 

 of the preceding year, by means of linings of 

 fresh dung; but, in practice, it has not only been 

 found that such beds are equally liable to damps, 

 but at the same time exposed to much risk and 

 inconvenience from the frequent loss of heat 

 in the linings. 



On these accounts it is therefore probable 

 that, until some more convenient mode of ap- 

 plying and keeping up a regular moist heat be 

 discovered than has hitherto been made use of, 

 the practice of procuring this sort of fruit on 

 fresh made dung hot-beds must be had recourse 

 to as the best and most certain method for the 

 early crops. 



In the cultivating of Cucumbers in this way, 

 the principal apparatus and materials which are 

 necessary in carrying it to any considerable ex- 

 tent, are a sufficient number of frames, or pits 

 of different sizes, with glass lights for covering 

 them, so as to prevent the entrance of water and 

 air. And it is usual, where this culture is much 

 attended to and practised in the most perfect 

 manner, to have a one-light frame for the seed- 

 bed, a two-light one for pricking out the young 

 plants and nursing them in, and two or more 

 two-light frames for their fruiting in ; but they 

 may be cultivated very well, on a small scale, 

 with one or two small frames. See Forcing 

 Frames. 



For the constructing of the hot-beds, the prin- 

 cipal material is fresh horse-dung in neither too 

 long or short a condition ; but proper for taking 

 on the process of fermentation. It should be had 

 in :!,>. proportion of about one cart-load to each 

 light, and Ik- prepared for the purpose by being 

 well shaken together into a heap, ten days or a 

 before it is made use of, as by this 



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means a regular heat will be brought on, and the 

 rank heat and steam, as well as the disagreeable 

 smell be removed. Some, in order to promote 

 these, and render the preparation more perfect, 

 have the whole turned over once or twice. Care, 

 however, should be taken, that the reduction of 

 the dung be not carried too far before it is put 

 in the bed, as where that is the case too little 

 heat will afterwards be produced. 



Where this sort of material is scarce, and 

 there is bark at hand, beds for the purpose may 

 be made with it, having only dung for the out- 

 sides ; but care must be taken that they be 

 so covered as that the roots of the plants ne- 

 ver reach the bark, a6 it cankers and destroys 

 them. 



In the making of beds for this sort of culture, 

 some, where proper forcing grounds are not pro- 

 vided, with the view of neatness, sink the foun- 

 dations of them ; but this should never be prac- 

 tised, except where the soil is very dry and gravel- 

 ly, as the stagnation of moisture is very prejudi- 

 cial in the bottoms of such beds. If the soil be 

 of a moist retentive nature, it will be highly bene- 

 ficial to have the bottoms raised to some height 

 above the surface of the natural ground. Be- 

 sides, where they are not sunk, the heat from 

 have, the linings is more beneficially applied. 



When proper forcing grounds are not made 

 use of for the culture of these plants, open, dry, 

 warm sheltered situations which decline to, or 

 have southern aspects should be chosen. 



The mould for covering the beds with should 

 be - of a light good rich quality, prepared by 

 being thrown into a heap for several months be- 

 fore it is employed. Mr. Nicol advises three- 

 fourths of the richest black loam that can be 

 procured from a pasture, and one-fourth of 

 vegetable mould from decayed tree-leaves, mixed 

 and incorporated well with a due proportion of 

 good stable-dung, as the best for this purpose. 

 The rotten dung of old hot-beds is, however, 

 most commonly employed with such earthy sub- 

 stances as the above. 



The mould made use of for the more early crops 

 should be laid up in some open place, where it 

 may he kept in a rather dry condition, to render 

 it more fit for the purpose. 



And when it is to be made use of, it should 

 not be rendered fine by sifting, as when made 

 too fine it is apt to lie too close and compact, 

 and by that means not only prevent the roots of 

 the plants from perfectly establishing themselves, 

 but confine the heat too much, and endanger the 

 plants in that way. 



Some small pots will be wanted where this 

 sort of culture is attempted at an early period, 

 both for the purpose of sowing the seed in, 

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