V. CUCUMBER. 



the frost and to keep in the heat j but, above all things, 

 as much air as possible ought to be given ; for, there is 

 always a steam or reek in a hot-bed ; and, if this be not 

 let out, it destroys the stems of the plants, and they very 

 quickly perish. Yet, there may be snow, there may be 

 such severe frost, as to render this giving of air very 

 perilous. In the night-time, it will frequently be neces- 

 sary to cover over the top of the lights, not only with 

 mats (which always ought to be done at this time of the 

 year) j but with straw to a considerable thickness, 

 besides the mats. In this case, you first lay the mat over 

 the glass : then put the straw upon the mat : then put 

 another mat over the straw, and fasten that mat securely 

 all over the frame, which is best done by billets of wood 

 about a foot and a half long and three inches thick each 

 way, with a tenter-hook at one end, to hang it on to the 

 mat. This is much better than tacking the mats, on to 

 the frame by a hammer and nails ; for this is a carpenter- 

 ing sort of work to be performed twice a-day. If the 

 weather be tolerably favourable, if it be not extremely 

 untoward, and if you have taken the proper pains, the 

 plants will be fit to be put into pots in about four or five 

 days from the time of their coming up. The time for 

 doing this, however, is best pointed out by the state of 

 the plants, which, as soon as you see the rough leaf 

 peeping up, are ready for potting. You then get your 

 pots about five inches deep, six inches over at the top, 

 and four inches over at the bottom, measuring from out- 

 side to outside. You put a small oyster-shell, the hollow 

 part downwards, over the hole at the bottom of the pot. 

 You fill the pots about three parts full of earth, heave 

 the plants out of the ground with your fingers, put two 



