2S8 FRUIT CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



light pieces of wood or strong wire-work, with meshes 

 4 or 5 inches square. They should not be nearer the 

 glass than 15 inches, which gives space' for the foliage, 

 and, after the fermenting material has subsided a few 

 inches, about 2 feet for the cucumbers to hang down. 



MANAGEMENT AETEE PLANTING IN THE FEUITING-PIT. 



As soon as the heat rises to 70° the pit is ready for 

 the plants, which should be allowed to become rather 

 dry at the root before being planted in the bottomless 

 pots. Their stems should be covered in planting nearly 

 to the seed-leaves, and an inch of the pots left unfilled 

 for watering conveniently and efficiently. Fix a stake 

 to each plant for support till they clasp the trellis with 

 a tendril. Settle the soil about their roots with water 

 at a temperature of 80°, through a rather fine rose; 

 shade lightly in the middle of the day for a few days if 

 the sun be strong. And now for a start. 



The night temperature should be as near 72° as 

 possible — say that it ranges between that and 75°, 

 according to the state of the weather. As the heat 

 will be strong from the fresh linings for a time, a 

 covering over the glass of a single mat will be sufficient, 

 except in cases of severe frost, when double mats may 

 be necessary. Push down the lights from the top early 

 on the afternoons of bright days, and discharge a few 

 syringefuls of warm water round the walls and over the 

 surface of the soil, but miss the plants. Then shut the 

 pit entirely till covering-up time, when a chink of air 

 should be put on for the night in case there should be 

 any unwholesome gas from the dung, and also to pre- 

 vent a weakly growth. They will commence to grow 



