OF THE CUCUMBER. 77 



ally if the dung of which the bed was made, was 

 not thoroughly worked before it was put into the 

 bed i and in fmking, the bed is liable to rend and give 

 way in its fides, and therefore it is difficult to prevent 

 the fleam of the linings from penetrating into the 

 frames among the plants. 



In the vyinter, when the heat of the bed is much 

 declined, it is a common practice to bore holes in the 

 fides of the bed with a flake. Thefe holes are to en- 

 able the heat of the linings to warm the bed properly ; 

 but as the dung of the bed is of a loofe texture, 

 through thefe holes the fleam of the linings is apt to 

 find its way into the frames among the plants. 



When the dung of the bed gets old and rotten, it 

 flagnates, corrupts, and becomes putrid ; therefore 

 the vapours which arife from it when in fuch a flate, 

 cannot be of a healthy nourifhing quality, but, on 

 the contrary, are certainly unhealthy, and flowly 

 poifonous to the plants. And if the dung of the bed 

 become dry and hu&y, the vapours that arife out of it 

 when in fuch a flate are productive of no better con- 

 fequences. 



It is well known that animals, which are fed upon 

 fweet wholefome food, are the mofl wholefome food 

 for man. And no doubt but the flefli of wholefome 

 animals may be rendered fomewhat unwholefome by 

 the nature or quality of the food they are fed with. 



Vegetables are, in many refpeds, fimilar to ani- 

 mals, and therefore may undoubtedly be rendered 

 fomewhat unwholefome to man by the nature of the 

 food with which they are nourifhed. 



^ I fhall 



