tP THE CUCUMBER. 8^^ 



ponteJ, and were it to be thus expofed, it would 

 alio lofe much of its vegetative powers. Hence ic 

 appears evident, that the fleam, which undoubtedly 

 contains the heatinpj quality, being retained in the 

 flues or cavities of the bed, and reverting to its firfl 

 fource, is the means of enabling the linings to keep 

 the heat longer than they could do if there were no 

 fuch cavities in the bed. 



In the cultivation of the cucumber in the fummef, 

 under hand or bell glafles, the following method is 

 generally praclifed : The feeds are fown fome time 

 about the middle of April in a cucumber or melon 

 bed, and when they come up, they are potted out 

 into fmall pots, two or three plants in each pot, and 

 are kept properly watered, and flopped at the firfl or 

 fecond joint. About the middle of May, a warm 

 fituation where the mould is very rich is pitched on, 

 and a trench is dug out about two feet deep, three 

 feet broad, and the length is proportioned according 

 to the number of lights it is intended for. This 

 trench is filled with good warm dung, and when the 

 dung is come to its full heat, it is covered over 

 with eight, ten, or twelve inches deep of rich mould. 

 The glafles are then fet upon it about three feet 

 diflant from each other, and when the mould gets 

 warm under them, the plants are turned out of the 

 pots with their balls whole, and plunged in the 

 mould under the glafTes^ and a little water given 

 them to fettle the mould about their roots, theglafTss 

 fet over them, and in fine days they are raifed a 

 little on one fide to ht the plants have the free alrj and 



¥ 2 a> 



