THE CUCUMBER. 259 



them on the surface of the soil, one in the centre of 

 each light, and fill them up with soil. In these pots 

 the plants are planted, and are thus raised nearer 

 the light and trellis, and can consequently he got 

 sooner into bearing than otherwise. The trellises gen- 

 erally used are made of 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 AFTER PLANTING IN THE FRUITING-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 

 tlie 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 suffi- 

 cient, except in cases of severe frost, when double 

 mats may be necessary. Push down the lights from 



