574 PRACTICE OF GARDENING. Par* III. 



steps or short ladders must be used by those whose office it is to cover and uncover ; 

 and great care must be taken not to break or injure the glass." 



3217. Air. Abercrombie directs to "admit air every day, when the weather is mode- 

 rate, without much wind ; and always more freely in sunny days, than when cloudy and 

 cold, or frosty. Open the lights behind, only a little at first, sooner or later in the day, 

 according to the temperature of the season ; increasing the opening, from about half an 

 inch, to one, two, or three inches, or very little more ; (decrease the opening occasionally, 

 if the weather, in the early part of the season, changes very cold ;) and shut closer in 

 the same gradual order towards afternoon ; generally shutting close in the evening, 

 Unless, in the early state of the bed, a considerable heat and steam continue. In this 

 case, you may occasionally leave open about half an inch, hanging the end of a mat 

 before each opening." 



3218. M'Phail says, " A cucumber-plant delights to grow in a strong heat, and in sweet wholesome air; 

 but if the air in which it grows be contaminated, unhealthy, or impure, the plant will not continue long 

 in a healthy flourishing condition. Whatever is disagreeable to the smell becomes in time hurtful to the 

 cucumber-plant ; therefore, whoever would wish to know if the air in a cucumber-frame be of a healthy 

 nature for the plants should smell to it." He adds, in giving and taking away the air, do it gradually, 

 that is, by little and little at a time, which, without doubt, is the best way ; for sudden changes are always 

 attended with unpleasant consequences. A due proportion and continual supply of fresh air is at all 

 times necessary, and more or less is required according to the heat of the linings, the temperature of the 

 weather, and the thickness of the coverings put on at> nights. {Gard. Rem. p. 42.} 



3219. Nicol admits air regularly in as large portions as the state of the weather will allow; being careful 

 to let oft" rank steam, if it abound, by leaving a tilt (wedge), even in the night. 



3220. Mi/Is says, " My usual times of giving fresh air to the frames, and permitting the foul to escape, 

 in the winter months (that is, from the middle of November to the middle of February), is as follows : 

 between eight and nine in the morning, I raise the lights, and let the confined air pass off; shutting them 

 again ; about ten I give a little air ; at eleven more ; at one I lower the lights a little, and between three 

 and four I close them entirely. About two hours after the covering of hay has been put on, I give a little 

 air for the night. Should the weather be changeable, the lights must be raised or lowered more or less, 

 as circumstances may require ; but some air about the times of the day above mentioned is absolutely 

 necessary to keep the plants in a free-growing state." 



3221. Water. Give necessary waterings, with water warmed to the air of the bed, 

 mostly in the forenoon of a mild day, in early forcing ; and in a morning or afternoon, 

 in the advanced season of hot sunny weather. (Abercrombie.) 



3222. M'Phail says, " The quantity of water requisite to be given to the plants depends upon the heat of 

 the bed, the strength and age of the plants, and also on the temperature of the weather. When the 

 weather is cold, wet, or gloomy, and the air moist, they require less water than when the weather is clear, 

 and the air more dry. If too much water be given, or if water be given too often, it will hinder the fruit 

 from setting and smelling kindly ; and if too little water be given, the plants will grow weak, and the 

 fruit hollow. I seldom watered the plants with water warmer than 85 degrees, nor colder than 65 ; 

 although, in general, I tried by the thermometer the warmth of the water I used, yet it is not necessary so 

 to do. A good way to know if the water be of a proper temperature is to take a mouthful of it, and when it 

 feels neither hot nor cold, then it is in a fit state for accelerating the growth of the plants, or for making 

 them grow fast. I made it a constant rule never to water the plants but with clean sweet water ; and if 

 the water be clean and sweet, I am of opinion it makes little or no difference whether it be pump-water, 

 spring-water, rain-water, or river- water. However, it is a good quality in water to bear soap, and make a 

 lather therewith, which rain and river waters readily do ; but the pump and spring waters are found too 

 hard to do it ; yet this may easily be remedied in them, by letting them stand a few days in the open air 

 and sun's rays. With regard to the time of the day in which the watering of the plants ought to be per- 

 formed, I think it is not material, nor did I ever make any rule with respect to the time, but give them 

 water at any hour of the day when I saw they stood in need of it, and when it best suited my conveniency. 

 Those who have hot-houses may get their water wanned there, and those who have no hot-houses may 

 get some from the house, or from some other place where water is frequently heated. One gallon of hot 

 water will properly warm several gallons of cold water. Late in spring and in the summer months the 

 water may be warmed by exposing it to the rays of the sun." 



3223. Nicol airs his water "by some means or other ;" waters once in two or three days after planting, 

 and liberally from the rose of the watering-pot as the plants advance. The time chosen is the afternoon, 

 about four or five o'clock, in order not to scorch the plants, which, he says, often happens when, after 

 morning waterings, the sun's rays suddenly dart on the plants. {Kal. p. 366. 385.) 



3224. Mearns, already mentioned (3186.), uses water impregnated with sheep's dung, as does Knight. 

 Mearns tried this water first "on some cucumber-plants in the pine-stove, which had been planted in 

 January, but which, in consequence of dull weather, had become weak, and of a pale green color ; he ap- 

 plied the liquid to the roots, and in a few days a great change in the appearance of the plants was pro- 

 duced ; the foliage assumed a hardy green, the shoots acquired an unusual degree of strength, with short 

 joints, and although the stove had scarcely any air given to it, yet the fruit swelled oft" rapidly, and 

 attained a large size." These plants continued in bearing till May," and were then cut back to within six 

 inches of the root, when they started again with vigor. " No water was ever given over the leaves, but a 

 continual supply of the liquid pigeon-dung manure to the roots." (Hort. Trans, iv. 412.) 



3225. Earthing. " Observe," says Abercrombie, "in proper time, when the first heat 

 of the bed is moderated, to begin adding more earth between the hills, as the extending 

 roots require to be covered, or the runners to be supported with mould ; raising it by 

 degrees equal with the tops of the hills, all in level order, from eight to ten inches 

 thick." (Pr. Gard. p. 72.) 



3226. Nicol, by the time the plants have sent out runners, and the roots spread quite over the hills, en- 

 larges them; beginning by stirring up the earth in the other parts of the frame to its full depth with a 

 hand-fork, or weeding-iron, breaking it fine if anywise caked by the heat. To this, add fresh mould sifted 

 or finely broken, and in a dry state, so as to raise the surface nearly to the level of the hills ; laying it in 

 a sloping manner from back to front. Previously, he rectifies the position and level of the frames, and 

 raises it so that the glass may be eight or nine inches above the mould in the centre. (Kal. p. 367.) 



3227. Training. To force the cucumber into early fruit, Abercrombie directs to " stop 

 the runners as soon as the plants have made two rough leaves, as the bud that produces 



