M E 



deep, if the Soil be dry, but if wet, 

 four or five Inches will be fufficient : 

 Then wheel the Dung therein, ob- 

 lerving to (hake and work it equally 

 in every Part of the Bed, that the 

 Heat may be equal j and after having 

 laid it even and level, you fhould 

 lay on the Earth Cobferving to break 

 it very fine) about three Inches thick, 

 laying it exadily even ; then put on 

 the Frames, and in the Middle of 

 each Light, where the Plants are to 

 be planted, you fhould put a good 

 Basket full of frefli, light, rich Earth, 

 raifing it into a little Hill; then 

 cover the Beds with the Glafles, 

 letting it remain two or three Days, 

 till you perceive it is of a proper 

 Temper for Heat; when you mud 

 take the Plants carefully out of the 

 former Bed, r.nd after having levell'd 

 the Hills in the Middle of each Glafs 

 on the Top, and made it a little 

 hollow, to contain a fmall Quantity 

 of Water, you fnould fet two ifrong 

 Plants into each, obferving to give 

 them a little Water if the Earth be 

 dry, as alfo to fliade them from the 

 Sun until they have taken Root ; 

 after which you muft be careful to 

 give them Air, according to the 

 Proportion of the He.it of the Bed, 

 as alfo to turn ' the Glaifes to dry 

 them : And when the Plants have 

 put out the fourth Leaf, (which is 

 what the Gardeners term having 

 two Jointsj you fliould pinch oft 

 the extreme Part of the Shoot, in 

 ordc!r to force out lateral Branches 

 or Runners j which when they 

 have produc'd about fix Inches long, 

 fhoulii be regularly plac'd in the 

 mann er they are defign'd to remain; 

 for th efe Shoots ought never to be 

 difplac 'd, or the Leaves bruis'd with 

 the H. ind, which is very injurious 

 to ther ; therefore you l"hould con- 

 ftantly i^eep them clear from Weeds, 

 and as the Shoots are produc'd, lay 



M E 



them in their true Order fo as not 

 to crofs or entangle with each other, 

 but by no means fhould you ftop 

 them, as is too often pradiis'd, 

 which occafions their putting forth 

 a greater Number of Shoots, but 

 then they are the weaker, and fo 

 there is a Confufion of Vine, but 

 thofe not ftrong enough to produce 

 any confiderabie Fruit, nor will the 

 firlf Melonsy which appear upon 

 fuch Vines, remain, but, on the 

 contrary, fall away, and come to 

 nothing. 



Thefe Plants fiiould be often re- 

 frefh'd with Water, but you muft 

 be careful not to give them too 

 much ; and when the Vines have 

 grown off from the little Hill upon 

 which they were planted, you 

 Ihould water them gently all over 

 their Leaves, which will greatly 

 refrefli them, but you fhould be 

 careful not to do this in the Heat 

 of the Day, left the Sun, by im- 

 mediately exhaufting the Moifture, 

 fhould Icorch the Leaves of the 

 Plants j nor fhould it be done late 

 in the Evening, for the GlafTes 

 being then put down clofc, and 

 cover'd with Mats or Straw, the 

 Moifture v/hich always ari£'s after 

 fuch Waterings, where there is a 

 Warmth in the Beds, being pent in, 

 will become rancid, and mixing 

 with the Air, will occafion its being 

 hurtful to the Plants, therefore the 

 beft Time is about feven or eight of 

 the Clock in the Morning, accord- 

 ing to the S-^afon of the Year ; and 

 when you find the Sun fliines hot 

 upon the GlalTes, you fliould raifc 

 them, to let the Steam pais off, 

 and in the Middle of the Day, in 

 very hot Weather, the GlafTes fliould 

 be fiiadcd with Mats or Straw, 

 which will prevent their fcorch- 

 ing, and prefcrve a gentle Moi- 

 ilure in the Bed, . vvliich is abfo- 



lutely 



