386 THE FORCING GARDEN. [ AI>R 



of the frame. Or the two side lights may be slip- 

 ped down, and the middle one may be drawn up a 

 little way, (if a three light box), which is a more 

 secure method than to tilt the lights both at top and 

 at front, especially in windy weather, or in situa- 

 tions much exposed. In sunshine, if the mercury 

 stand at 70 or 72, the frame will be abundantly 

 hot for cucumbers. 



If the green fly or the thrips make their appear- 

 ance, a remedy lies in fumigation. If cucumbers 

 be kept as moist as they require, and if the vines are 

 trained on the earth, (which they should), instead 

 of slates, tiles, or dry moss, the red-spider will sel- 

 dom attack them. It is very proper to place a bit 

 of slate, tile, or glass under the fruit, particularly of 

 melons, in order to keep it from damping, and from 

 partaking of an earthy flavour. But to slate or 

 moss the whole surface is wrong, as nothing tends 

 more to the breeding of the red-spider, which is of- 

 ten a great annoyance to melons, especially at times 

 when it is improper to water them freely, as when 

 the fruit are ripening off. 



The frame will now be full of vines, (I speak of 

 the cucumbers), if these have been stopped and 

 trained as directed last month. The plants should 

 now be kept moderately thin of shoots, but should 

 never be pruned much at a time, being apt to 

 bleed, and in that case might be much weaken- 

 ed. All bruised, damped, or decayed leaves should 

 be carefully picked off as they appear, and the 

 plants should be cleaned from weeds, and other rut- 



