356 Forcing of early Cucumbers. 



frequently very hot sunshine, accompanied with keen and cutting 

 winds from the north-east, and as ventilation, in most establish- 

 ments, cannot be effected without the direct entrance of the cold 

 air, the person in charge of theforcing-houses contents himself with 

 steaming the flues, paths, &c., which causes dense vapours to 

 settle all over the surface ; and the rays of the sun coming to a 

 focus on the globules of vapour settled on the berries, as they 

 pry, causes the parts so acted on to blister or rust. 



Vines should never be closely stopped in warm weather. 

 Head gardeners should particularly impress on their men the 

 necessity of washing their hands previously to thinning grapes ; 

 to avoid brushing their head against the bunches, as the unctuous 

 matter from the hair is pernicious ; nay, I consider the breath 

 coming in close contact with the berries sullies their brilliancy. 

 A method we have adopted here is, that of having a piece of 

 wire, 6 or 8 inches Jong, with one end hooked, by which the main 

 stem of the bunch is caught ; and, by gently elevating or draw- 

 ing it right or left, the bunch can be thinned without a berry 

 being touched by the hand. The necessity of very frequently 

 wiping their scissors should also be impressed on the grape 

 thinners. 



Would it not be also advantageous to provide each man with a 

 pair of smooth leather gloves, to be used only when thinning 

 grapes ? which, if carefully put by after each season, would last 

 for an indefinite length of time. 



Lexvesion House Gardens, Sherborne, Dorsetshire, 

 June 10. 1837. 



Art. IX. On the forcing of early Cucumbers. By John Wighton, 

 Gardener to Lord Stafford at Cossey Hall. 



One great complaint among the growers of early cucumbers 

 is, that the plants are often weak and yellow. This is occasioned 

 by the beds being kept too warm, and too much covering being 

 placed over them at night. The heat of the beds causes the 

 plants to grow too fast for the small supply of light which they 

 receive while the days are short; and which are rendered shorter 

 still by the coverings being put on so early in the evenings, and 

 left on so long in the mornings. I have always found that so much 

 covering was rather injurious than beneficial. My practice is to 

 cover up only in very cold weather, and then only with a single 

 mat. 



Crown glass should be used for very early forcing, and the 

 surface should not be puttied. The glass in old lights is, like 

 horn, almost impervious to the light. 



In mixing up the soil for cucumbers, fresh dung should be 



