22 Movable Cucumber Bed. 



since which time I have had a constant growing heat in the bed, 

 seldom lower than 70° by night, and in the day from 80° to 

 85°, according to the quantity of air admitted. The advan- 

 tage which I expect to derive from this method is, that when 

 the heat begins to decline, I can, by taking down half of either 

 the back or front lining, remove the dung from one of the 

 compartments and replace it with a fresh supply, which will 

 renovate the decaying heat for at least a fortnight, and when 

 it again declines I can remove the other compartment, still 

 continuing the slight linings, which may, if necessary, be also 

 renewed ; but hitherto my bed has not required any assistance, 

 although the weather has been extremely unfavourable for 

 early forcing, not so much from frost as from high and cold 

 winds from E. and N.E. I am, Sir, &c. 



March 10. 1827. Mentor. 



June 21. — In a postscript of this date to a communica- 

 tion from " Mentor" on another subject, he informs us that 

 the movable frame for early forcing has fully answered every 

 expectation ; that the first cucumber cut from it was fifteen 

 inches long, without a seed, and from the time it was set was 

 only sixteen days in growing to that size. — Cond. 



Art. X. Suggestions for a movable Cucumber Bed to be 

 heated by Dung. By Mr. Thomas Hawkins. 



Mr. Hawkins suggests the idea of an iron rim the length and 

 breadth of a common hot-bed frame, having a rebate, on which 

 spars or boards could be supported so as to form a bottom for 

 the mould, and a common frame might be set on the same 

 rebate for the sides. " Screws with handles might be fixed on 

 occasionally at the four corners of the iron bottom, whereby 

 four men might be enabled to remove or shift it with its con- 

 tents to a new or fresh-made bed prepared for its reception, 

 and the old one might then be converted into a new bed for 

 another frame, or put to any other use. As I have heard 

 many gardeners complain of the uncertainty of the regular dif- 

 fusion of heat by means of linings to hot-beds, I think, by 

 adopting this method, it would completely remove the defect." 



The Haw, near Gloucester, 

 March, 1827- 



