'Frame Cucumbers. 



201 



cold and the plants become unhealthy. It will seldom be found 

 profitable to start the beds before the beginning of April, and 

 for ordinary purposes the end of April will be found quite soon 

 enough. At this date less manure will be required for the 

 hot-beds and the plants will grow away more freely and be 

 easier of management, whilst frames which have been used 

 in the production of early salads and similar crops will be 

 empty by the middle of April and will then be available for 

 growing Cucumbers. 



Sowing. Seed should be sown four weeks before the beds 

 are ready for planting, so that by the time the beds have got 

 warmed through there will be good strong plants ready to set 

 out. When there are a good number 

 of frames to fill, the seed should be 

 sown in small batches every two or 

 three days, so that they may be 

 planted in regular succession as they 

 become ready, otherwise some may 

 get pot-bound before they can be 

 planted, and this must be avoided if 

 possible, because the best results are 

 always obtained when the plants 

 never experience any check, particu- 

 larly in the early stages. 



Where a heated greenhouse is 

 available, this should be taken advan- 

 tage of for raising the plants, .but 

 where there is none a small hot-bed 

 must be made for this purpose. 

 Even in a greenhouse it is a good 

 plan to make up a small hot-bed in 

 which to plunge the pots, so as to 

 afford a moist bottom heat of about 

 75 degrees. The hot-bed in the open 

 should be made in the last week of 

 March, in a sheltered position. It should be at least 3ft. thick, 

 and large enough to accommodate the number of plants re- 

 quired after they are potted up. It should project 18in. beyond 

 the frame all round. (Full instructions for the making and 



Copyright, S. & S. 



Cucumber. 

 Sutton's Every-day. 



