Culture of the Cucumber and Melon. 567 



It appears to me, from this little experiment, that, where 

 leaves are used instead of tan, the pits will not require to be 

 turned more than once a year ; for where the roots are grown 

 far into the leaves, the plants will thrive, although there be 

 but little heat in the bed, because they will have all the 

 advantage of it; which is not the case when the roots are 

 confined within the pots. That a pine plant will grow much 

 faster and stronger, and will not require to be shifted into 

 other pots so often as is generally done ; that such large pots, 

 namely, 13 in. wide in the clear withinside at the top, and 

 13 in. deep in the inside, will not be wanted; that more 

 plants may be grown in a row ; and that fruit equally large 

 and good-flavoured may be grown in much smaller pots than 

 those which are now generally used ; — these are no small 

 advantages. All my pots, both little and great, are now 

 made in this manner; and next summer I hope to reap the 

 advantage of it. 



I am not aware that this hint has been used by any pine- 

 growers, although obvious, and so easy to be put in practice; 

 therefore I am induced to take the liberty to submit it to you, 

 that, if it be worth knowing, it may be made public through 

 your Magazine, for the advantage of your many pine-growing 

 friends. I am. Sir, yours, &c. 



John Hawkins. 

 Cosford, Godalming, Surrey, Aug. 27. 1833. 



Art. XV. The Results of an Instance of grotving the Cucumber 

 and the Melon in \_Heath Mould or*'] Bog Earth. By Mr. 

 James Figgans. 



Sir, 

 I PUT up my frames in February with dung in the usual 

 way ; and it occurred to me to try a two-light frame with bog 

 earth [heath mould], which I had never seen done, anti- 

 cipating, however, but little the result. When the bed was 

 made up, I put nine inches of bog earth, as taken from the 

 field, into it, and when the heat had arisen, I drew the earth 

 into two heaps, one under each light, to receive the plants, 

 and then introduced a littlg more earth into the frame. I 

 put plants of cucumber under one light, and of melon under 



* In Vol. VII. p. 285. 1 have endeavoured to show that the term bog earth 

 would naturally imply that dense, sodden, coagulate, moorish soil which 

 bogs, morasses, and swamps usually supply; and that the dry, mixedly 

 sandy, easily separable mould met with on heaths, and in which the species 

 of heath (^rica) delight to grow, would be far more appropriately deno- 

 minated if termed heath mould. — J. D. 



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