72 Pit for, and Culture of, early Cucumbers. 



one brick higher tlian the others. The two front pipes that 

 enter the flues are to keep them constantly supplied with 

 warm atmospheric air, and the small tubes at the ends are to 

 take away the nocturnal vapour which has no other means of 

 escape. This vapour, on being confined in the flues, and 

 having no means to escape, must of necessity force itself 

 through the earth in the pit, and consequently become very 

 injurious to the roots of the plants. The other two pipes that 

 enter under the rail are to convey warm atmospheric air among 

 the plants, which is constantly passing into the pit, and escapes 

 at the back of the lights ; they being a little I'aised at the 

 back, and a small piece of board being pegged up against it, 

 to keep the cold winds from blowing under. Thus there is 

 a constant supply of fresh warm air day and night. The size 

 of the large pipes is an inch and three quarters ; the small 

 tubes are three quarters of an inch. When I sow my seeds, I 

 use a small rack suspended from the rails that support the 

 lights with some pieces of board on it : the seed pot, being 

 placed on it, remains till the seed has come up ; the plants 

 are then potted off, and placed on the suspended rack till it 

 is time for them to be turned out of the pots ; they are then 

 transplanted into small hills of earth on the suspended racks, 

 with some bricks laid flatwise, to keep the earth together ; 

 and as the plants increase in size, they are supplied with fresh 

 earth. I find that cucumber plants managed this way do much 

 better than in the usual way of ridging them out on the earth 

 in the pit; for they grow stronger and more healthy, and 

 they will show fruit much better and finer. Just before the 

 fruit is in bloom, the plants are removed from the suspended 

 rack, which is done by placing a hand glass over the plants 

 on the rack; then having the lining levelled by the side of 

 the pit, lift the suspended racks out of the pit, and place 

 them on the lining, clean out the top earth that is in the 

 pit, scald the sides with hot water, and put in a suffi- 

 cient quantity of warm fresh earth ; next take off" your hand 

 glass, and, having two sticks, place one under each end of the 

 boards that have the plants, and gently take them off" the rack, 

 and place them on the fresh earth in the pit where they are 

 to remain; then, by placing a small piece of board against 

 the earth that contains the plants {the bricks having been 

 removed), gently draw away the two outside boards ; the 

 middle one is drawn out endwise, it being divided in the 

 middle, and in that part rests on brackets attached to the two 

 outside boards. Here you will find that all the roots of the 

 plants ai'e alive and healthy, which is the reason why the 

 plants retain their health and strength ; whereas, in the original 



