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flty, than any real Ad vantage j for 

 Cucumbers that are produced before 

 April cannot be To wholefome as 

 thofe that are later j for before the 

 Sun hath Strength enough to warm 

 the Beds through the GlafTes in the 

 Day-time, all the Force muft pro- 

 ceed from the Fermentation of the 

 Dung, which muft confcquently 

 occaiion a very confiderable Steam, 

 as alfo a great Quantity of Air will 

 be thereby generated, which being 

 pent up in the Hot-bed, foon be- 

 comes rancid, and the Steam of 

 the Bed being by the Gold of the 

 Night condenfed into large Drops 

 of Water, which being ablbrb'd or 

 infpir'd by the Plants, muft cer- 

 tainly make the Fruit crude and 

 unhealthy, efpecially when the 

 Nights are very long. This, to- 

 gether with the great Expence and 

 Trouble of procuring them earlier, 

 having almoft got the better of 

 Peoples Ambition, hath render'd it 

 lefs pradlis'd than it hath been 

 fome Years fince. I fliall begin 

 with giving plain Direftions how 

 to procure Plenty of good hand- 

 fome Fruit in April. 



. Towards the latter end of Ja- 

 nuary you muft provide a Quan- 

 tity of new Horfe-Dung with the 

 Litter mix'd together, (in propor- 

 tion to the Number of Plants you 

 intend to raife, which, if tor a 

 private Family, two Loads will be 

 full enough) this ftiould be thrown 

 into a Heap, mixing a few Sea- 

 coal Afties therewith j in about 

 four or five Days after, the Dung 

 will begin to heat, at which Time 

 you may draw a little part of the 

 Heap on the Outfide flat, laying 

 thereon a little good Earth about 

 two Inches thick 5 this you fhould 

 cover with a Beil-glafs, laying a 

 little dry Litter thereoni ^nd in a 

 Day ©r two after, v/hen you per- 



G U 



ceive the Earth to be warm, jo'i 

 muft put your Seeds therein, co- 

 vering them about a quarter of an 

 Inch with the fame Earth j then 

 put the Glafs on again j and alfo at 

 Night or in bad Weather obferve 

 to cover the Glafs with dry Litter 

 or Mats, ^f. and in three or four 

 Days Time (if the Dung be in a 

 good Temper of Heatj the Plants 

 will appear above Ground; which 

 when you firft obferve you muft 

 immediately, with the adjoining 

 Heap of Dung, make a Bed for 

 one fingle Light, being careful not 

 to take the Dung away too clofe 

 to the Bell -Glafs, but obierving to 

 lay a little Dung round about it, a6 

 alfo to keep it cover'd, that the 

 young Plants may not receive a 

 Check thereby. This Hot-bed will 

 require to be three Feet thick irt 

 Dung at leaft, which, in the 

 making, fliould be cai-efully mix'd 

 and beat pretty clofe with the 

 Fork, to prevent the Heat from 

 being too fudden and violent : 

 Then lay fome fine frefti Earth 

 upon the Dung about three Inches 

 thick, levelling it very even, and 

 put on the Frame, covering it 

 over in the Night, or in bad Wea- 

 ther with a Mat, (^c. as before, in 

 order to excite a Heat in the Bed; 

 and as foon as you perceive the 

 Bed to be in a good kindly Tem- 

 per of Heat, you fhould prick your 

 young Plants thereon at about two 

 Inches diftance each Way, obfer- 

 ving to put them into the Earth 

 almoft up to their Seed-leaves. 



If the Bed is of a good Temper 

 for Heat, your Plants will take 

 Pvoot in lefs than twenty-fori^: 

 Hours ; after Which Time you 

 muft be careful to let in a: little 

 Air at fuch Times when the 

 Weather will permit, as alfo to 

 tiyn the Glalles upfide downwards 

 T every 



