Prame Cucumbers. 203 



should be pulled down and replaced with fresh. Keep the 

 plants evenly moist, but not wet, always using tepid water, and 

 raise the lights slightly at the top for a few hours in the middle 

 of the day, but take careful precautions agajnst draughts. As 

 soon as the first two rough leaves are well formed, pinch out 

 the tip or centre of the plant above the second leaf. This will 

 cause two lateral shoots to break away, one from the axil of 

 each leaf. 



Preparing the Beds. By the second week of April make 

 preparations for the beds on which the plants are to be set 

 out permanently. The materials should be at hand, consisting 

 of equal parts of fresh stable manure and of leaves, or if no 

 leaves are available, then of old hot-bed manure. Throw these 

 roughly together in a compact heap, sprinkling plenty of water 

 upon them during the process, if at all dry. In a few days the 

 heap will be very hot, when it must be turned and thoroughly 

 mixed again, giving more water if still on the dry side. Unless 

 more than half the heap consisted of fresh manure it will need 

 no further turning, but will be ready for use in the course of 

 three or four days. 



Let the frame ground be arranged so that the frames can 

 stand in a compact body. For instance, if there are twelve 

 three-light frames they should be placed in four rows of three 

 frames each. When a large number is to be used they should 

 be arranged in sections. Three three-light frames end to end 

 to form one row, and ten rows, or thirty frames in all, will be 

 found sufficient in one section for convenient working. Between 

 the rows should be a space 12in. to 15in. wide, and between the 

 sections a pathway 4ft. wide. 



The ground having been well dug and manured some time 

 previously, set one row of frames exactly in position, then mark 

 out down the middle of the frames, from end to end of the row, 

 the position for a trench 2ft. wide. Remove the frames for 

 convenience of working, and dig out the trench a good spit deep, 

 wheeling the soil to the other end of the section. Then fill the 

 the trench with the prepared manure, shaking it out well. 

 Tread it in evenly and firmly, filling the trench to Gin. above 

 ground level, and also lay 6in. of manure over the earth on 

 each side of the trench, including the space between the frames, 



