THE CUCUMBER. 257 



generally ready for planting-out in about five or six 

 weeks after the seeds are sown. In raising cucumber- 

 plants as has just been described, I have usually sown 

 on or about the 1st of January, and planted them in 

 the fruiting-pits the second week of February. 



FRUITING-PITS, PLANTING-OUT, ETC. 



My experience leads me to recommend much deeper 

 fruiting-pits than are generally in use in this system 

 of cucumber-culture. Deep pits require more ferment- 

 ing material at first starting every season, but in the 

 after-management the temperature is maintained with 

 much less trouble. I have practised with pits of 

 various dimensions, but found those that are 7 feet 

 deep the most satisfactory. The pit should be sunk 

 3 feet below the ground-level, with the drainage so 

 thorough that standing water is impossible. Instead 

 of building these pits on the pigeon-hole and flue 

 system, I would construct them of 4-inch solid brick- 

 work, and in this way I have always found the linings 

 as effective as with pigeon-holes ; and there is no 

 danger of the evil effects of steam, nor from mice or 

 rats, which are sometimes very troublesome. The 

 space for the lining should be two feet wide, enclosed 

 all round with 9 -inch brick- work, to within a foot of 

 the level of the pit, so that the wooden shutters which 

 cover in the linings have a good slope to throw off the 

 wet. Linings last as long again thus enclosed and 

 covered. The illustration, fig. 22, will best explain 

 the pit we have described. 



