78 THE VEGETABLE CULTIVATOR. 



cately young, once a week or fortnight will not be 

 found too often. The sowings in the open ground 

 commence about the second or third week in March, 

 according to the mildness of the weather. Prepare 

 a piece of rich well-dug ground, by raking the 

 surface very fine ; sow the seed in small flat shallow 

 drills or very thickly broad-cast ; earth over very 

 lightly, and but just enough to cover the seed. In 

 warm dry weather give occasional waterings. In 

 the early spring and autumn crops, if the seed is 

 sown thickly on a small square piece of ground, 

 and covered with a hand-glass, it will forward the 

 crop considerably. The late autumn and winter 

 crops will require a slight bottom heat under glass ; 

 the soil for that purpose should be light and mellow, 

 such as old tan or vegetable mould, the seed to be 

 sown in shallow drills and covered very slightly. 



Where there is a pinery or fruiting house in 

 work, small salading of any description can be sown 

 in shallow boxes filled with the light vegetable 

 mould, whereby it can be had in the severest season 

 with little or no trouble. 



Double the quantity of cress should be sown to 

 that of mustard, as it is not of so rapid and large 

 a growth ; and to keep up a proper succession, two 

 sowings of mustard will be necessary to one of cress. 



19. CUCUMBER. CUCUMIS. 



The meaning of the word from which cucumber 

 is derived, is not well defined in the English lan- 

 guage. Various reasons have been assigned for its 

 origin ; but all more remarkable for ingenuity than 



