164 The Gardener's New Director. 



Notwithftanding I have direfted the pit to be en- 

 clofed with brick-work, I would recommend its being of 

 entire wood- work, that is, boards nailed to two up- 

 right ports, as this would give an opportunity of keep- 

 ing up the heat, by a lining of horfe-dung being laid 

 Egainft the back of the frame, to be raifed or lowered 

 according to the heat required. 



For the better perfecting of this operation, I would 

 recommend another pit to be prepared, of twenty feet 

 in length, and fix in breadth ; to be feparated in the 

 middle with boards, fo that when the heat of one pit 

 is going off, the other may be made ready. 



This frame will be neceffary to receive your plants 

 from the firft, when the heat fails ; and in one end 

 of the double frame you may raife your crowns and 

 fuckers for the fruiting frame: this contrivance will 

 render the work eafy, and will be more certain than 

 raifing the crowns or fuckers in the Cucumber or Melon 

 frames. 



This refiduary pit then, being full twelve feet in 

 length, and fix feet in breadth, will hold thirty-two 

 fruiting plants, (that is) four rows, and eight in a 

 row ; and may be made larger or fmaller, accord- 

 ing to the number of fruiting plants which you in- 

 tend to have. 



Having faid as much as is neceffary, concerning the 

 repofitories adapted to your fruiting plants, it will be 

 proper to give fome directions for preparing the pit 

 which is defined to receive them. 



Firft, provide yourfelf with fuch a quantity of dung, 

 as will be fufficient to fill your pit within fourteen inches 

 of the top of the brick-work, when fettled. But this 

 dung, before it is put into the pit, fnould be well work- 

 ed together, in the fame manner as is praClifed for your 

 Cucumber-beds, when it will heat more kindly and with 

 more regularity, than when it is thrown in without 

 mixing. This done, provide a fufficient quantity of 

 tanner's bark to plunge your pots in. But if your fitu- 

 ation is fuch, that tanner's bark cannot conveniently be 

 had, you muff get faw-dufl: in the place of it, which 

 anfwers the fame purpofe : but then its heat will abate 



much 



