356 



CASSELL'S POPTJLAB GAEDBNING. 



Plants fit for planting out should have two or 

 three rough leaves, or such as follow the two 

 original seed-lobes. They should have just the 

 point of the young shoot pinched out beyond the 

 second rough leaf, and if permitted to form lateral 

 shoots, however undefined subsequently, so much the 

 better. Precisely similar treatment of the seeds will 

 suit house cultui-e, &c. Turn the plant out of the pot 

 carefully, remove the crock at the bottom of the mould, 

 make a deep hole in the centre of the mound, and place 

 the plant therein, drawing the soil up around the roots, 

 pressing it somewhat firmly ; then bury the stem of 

 the plant up to within an inch or two of the lower 

 leaves. Shade, if the season is so advanced as to 

 need it, for a day or two; give air in moderation 

 when the weather is fine. Insert a thin wedge under 

 the back of the sash during the night, allowing a 

 space of about a quarter of an inch only for egress 

 of all excess of steam, and cover the sashes over with 

 hay or straw, kept in place by means of a mat over 

 all; so as to insure a night temperature of 70°. Take 

 care to remove this covering at the approach of day- 

 light, that no light be lost. With fine weather, 

 symptoms of growth in the plant, not too much 

 steam, and a knowledge that the mound of soil does 

 not contain an excess of latent moisture, give to 

 the roots of the. plant a little tepid water about the 

 eighth day after planting. 



The internal heat must in future be " kept up " 

 by renovating the linings around the outer sides. 

 One portion only should be renovated at a time — 

 say the front lining, a side one, or the back. A store 

 of material must be kept for this purpose, and the 

 operation must be done as quickly as possible, 

 choosing the early part of a fine day upon which to 

 do it. The existing lining simply requires to be 

 turned over, adding a little fresh material throughout 

 in process of turning. Should any portion of the old 

 lining have become dry in process of fermentation, 

 damp it with a rosed water-pot. 



In a few weeks the plants will be making progress. 

 As a result, sundry roots will protrude through the 

 mound of soil. Place another layer of prepared 

 compost over all, and well up around the collar of 

 each plant. At the same time lighten up the 

 material around the outer sides of the mounds of 

 soil to aid heat in ascending. This process of mould- 

 iQff up must be repeated as needed, until finally the 

 wliole internal surface of the bed, from plant to 

 v;oodwork of the frame, is one mass of such. Plant- 

 grcwth will have now advanced; sunlight and the 

 outer temperature will have greatly increased ; water- 

 ings will have to be more frequent, good root-soakings 

 being reqiiired once a week ; and daily between 3 and 

 4 o'clock p.m, the whole internal surfaces — plants, 

 bed, fr-ame-sides, &c. — should be sprinkled over and 



shut up so closely that air cannot gain ingress. By 

 this means the internal heat may rise to 90°, 95°, or 

 even 100°. Again give a little air at the back about 

 6 p.m. Increase it so soon as the influence of the 

 sun is felt within next morning, still increasing it as 

 the morning wears into mid-day, in such manner that 

 the internal heat be maintained at 85° for the 

 maximum, but do not let it fall below 68° as a 

 minimum. 



Culture in Glass-houses. — The culture of 

 the Cucumber in glass-houses, whether in summer 

 or in winter, is more simple and easy, and involves 

 less trouble than their culture in frames. Cucum- 

 ber-houses should always be abundantly heated, 

 the hot-water pipes being in excess of any demand 

 likely to be made on them. Tanks used to be 

 a favourite means of furnishing bottom and also 

 affording surface heat. These answer well when 

 covered over so that a dry or a moist heat may be 

 commanded at wUl. In growing winter CucumbtTS 

 a dryish atmosphere is necessary, and shorter varieties 

 are mostly grown at that season, such as Sion House, 

 Telegraph, and Monroe's Duke of Edinburgh, 

 Bottom heat is also essential to winter, and as bene- 

 ficial to general house culture as for frames. Indeed, 

 for winter culture it is most important that an un- 

 fluctuating bottom heat of about 80° be maintained. 

 This is best secured by the means of hot-water pipes 

 running through a space beneath the beds of soil 

 wherein the plants have their roots. Flues properly 

 heated will suffice, but the above are best. Neither 

 must be in immediate contact with the soil, however, 

 but should occupy a chamber beneath it. A convenient 

 method is to have iron or wooden framework elevated 

 about six inches above the pipes or flue, upon which 

 rough materials are first placed, and subsequently the 

 soU. The mound of soil in this latter instance must be 

 deeper, and it may be richer than such as is used for 

 framework. Unlike the latter, it has not a base of 

 manure below wherein the roots extend and feed 

 eventually. If, therefore, it be not of good depth or 

 bulk, it win eventually, when the roots are filling the 

 soil-space, not afford permanency of food-supply for 

 advancement. In placing the soil in the side pits 

 press it down somewhat firmly, but place a conical 

 mound up from it near to the glass, lightly, whereon 

 and wherein to plant the young plants out. By these 

 means more and more soil can be added, as the roots 

 are seen to permeate it and to extend through it. 



The advantages attached to house culture, especi- 

 allj' during adverse seasons of the year, consist of 

 the fact that a damp base with its steam emanation, 

 and with no power of drying excess of moisture 

 excepting with sunshine, as with fi-ame culture, does 

 not exist. Houce root waterings and surface sprink- 



