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Flued Pit for Cucumbers and Melons. 



and vegetables, and also any plan by which he might grow a 

 few peaches and grapes, I gave him those which I am now 

 about to describe, and which I promised to send you some 

 account of. I may premise, that the garden of this gentleman 

 has very little walling, and no proper place for growing mush- 

 rooms ; and therefore I included a pit for the latter, and a 

 substitute for the former, and for a peach-house and vinery. 

 Pits on a similar plan I have used with great success at 

 Wollaton Hall, for growing cucumbers and melons. The 

 cucumbers, and the smaller sorts of melons, I train under the 

 glass, and the larger sorts of melons on the surface of the bed 

 in the usual way. 



The pits (Jig. 74.) stand east and west, and may either be 

 used for cucumbers and melons, or for forcing vegetables or 



flowers. They may be of the usual length and breadth, and 

 sunk as deep into the earth as the dryness of the soil and 

 drainage will admit of. Each pit has one fire and a flue, which 

 makes three courses, two under the pit (#, a), and one along 

 the pathway, to heat the air of the house (b). Over this last 

 flue is a narrow pit, or box, in the way of border (c), for hold- 

 ing the earth for the cucumbers or small melons, which are 

 trained to wires, suspended from the roof (d). The soil in this 

 border may be increased by laying one or more courses of 

 bricks along its outer kerb (e). Steam may be produced by 

 pouring water over the cover of the flue (b); and also, if 

 desirable, it might be produced under the bed of earth by 

 introducing water through a pipe with a funnel (k) ; all the 

 flues being furnished with a course of bricks along the 

 outer edges of the cover, so as to form a trough between 

 them. 



The mushroom house (g) is a vault between the two pits, 

 and which, by means of small openings (i), to be closed at 

 pleasure by bricks, may receive heat from either or both of 

 the pits ; but, excepting in the most severe weather, the 

 warmth incident to its situation will be sufficient for the growth 

 of mushrooms. It may be fitted up with shelves (Ji) in the 



