154 THE MANSE GARDEN. 



which is singular, the seed is better for being some 

 years old. As there are so many sorts early short 

 prickly, early long prickly, most long prickly, long 

 smooth green, Dutch or white short prickly, long 

 green Turkey, white Turkey, &c. the simplest way 

 is to save the seed of that sort which best suits the 

 palate. The fruit must be thoroughly ripe, arid its 

 seed washed from the pulp and dried in paper. The 

 proper soil is light rich black earth, manured from a 

 heap of decayed vegetable matter, with a moderate 

 portion of old and well decayed dung. Early crops 

 can be raised only by the artificial heat of flued pits 

 or hotbeds ; and this of course must require a con- 

 stant gardener to regulate the heat, dissipate the 

 vapour, admit air, and exculde a five minutes' breath 

 of frost. In the south of England large cucumbers 

 are abundantly produced from drills in the open air, 

 and hence their cheapness in the market; but in the 

 northern parts of the island, the most that can be 

 done without forcing is to raise fruit of a smaller 

 size, by sowing under a handglass in May, and 

 planting out on a sheltered border in June. The 

 male and female flowers are on the same plant, but 

 under glass some movement by the hand is necessary 

 to effect that mixture of pollen which in the open air 

 is made by the breeze or the wings of the bee. 



To save the time lost by transplanting, to have 

 also a quicker growth and larger fruit with the least 

 trouble, pits are made in the ground eighteen inches 

 deep, at the distance of four feet from each other ; 

 they are then filled with manure in fermentation, and 

 which is covered over with six inches of mould. There 

 the seed is sown in patches, and the seedlings after- 



