66 ON THE CULTURE 



In making up and pulling down the linings, care 

 Ihould be taken not lo injure the brick work. 



The covering the lights in the winter and fpring 

 is abfolutely neceflfary ; for, notwithflanding the heat 

 of the linings, it would be impolTible to keep up a 

 proper degree of heat in the frames for the piants 

 without coverings. Therefore, the covering up in 

 the evenings, and uncovering in the mornings, muft 

 be particularly attended to, and more or lefs put on 

 according to the heat of the linings and the tempera- 

 ture of the weather. My method of covering up is 

 as follows : In the firfl place I lay clean fmgle mats 

 on the lights, in length and breadth juft or nearly to 

 cover the faflies, taking care not to fuffer any part of 

 the mats to hang over the falhes on or above the 

 linings, for that would be the means of drawing the 

 fleam into the frames in the night-time. On thefe 

 mats is fpread equally a covering of foft hay, and on 

 the hay is laid another covering of fmgle mats, upon 

 which are laid two, and fometimes three or four, rows 

 of boards, to prevent the covering from being blown 

 off by the winds. The mats laid on next to the 

 glafs are merely to keep the feeds and duft which 

 may happen to be in the hay from getting into the 

 frames among the plants. 



In covering up, (leps or fliort ladders muft be ufed 

 by thofe whofe office it is to cover and uncover; and 

 great care muft be taken not to break or injure the 

 glafs. 



I know fome gentlemen who have pits built in their 

 cucumber and melon grounds : Thefe they have 



built 



