88 ON THB CULTURE OF TH£ CUCUMBER^ 



During the winter and fpring, in the mornings^ 

 juft when the frames are uncovered, I never w;fli i^ 

 find the heat of the air in the bed apiong the plants 

 lower than 70 nor higher than 80 degrees ; and 

 during the fame time I never wifh the heat of the 

 mould in the centre of the pits about fix inches below 

 the furface lower than 80 nor higher than 90 dCf? 

 grees. It appears, therefore, that^ during the win- 

 ter and fpring months, I wifli the pedium he^t of 

 the air in the frames to be 75 degrees, and the mC'» 

 diuin heat of the mould to be S^ degrees, I fpeak 

 now of artificial heat, for when the days ar^ warm^ 

 and the fun fhines, the heat of the air in the frames 

 is ofte^i raifed to a much higher degree. Reckoning 

 the heat derived from the ftm, the medium heat of 

 the air in the frarnes may be about 80 degrees -^ and 

 as the mould in the pits for two or three inches deep 

 Is more fufceptible of heat and cold than at a greater 

 depth, we may compute its medium heat to be 

 nearly about the fame degree as that of the air. 



A bed may be built and iet to wprk immediately | 

 the heat of the linings will dry the lime of the joints 

 of the bricks. The evaporation in the frames, fron; 

 the moift lime of the joints of the brick-work, has nq 

 bad efFed on the plants ; bu^ when a bed is fet to 

 work before it be dry and fteady, great care mufl be 

 taken not to injure the ]prick-worl^ in filling up ^hs 

 pits. 



