THE CUCUMBER UNDER HAND- GLASSES. 8 



a hand-glass, which will cover ten plants ; or 

 two beds, if you have twenty plants ; and so on 

 in proportion, according to the number re- 

 quired. These beds are the out-door seed-beds? 

 for the plants to be grown in previous to their 

 removal to the fruiting bed, which is to be pre- 

 pared for their reception as soon as they are fit 

 for it. 



The out- door seed-bed is to be made on the sur- 

 face of hard ground, commencing with a layer, 

 an inch thick, of half-decayed rich manure ; the 

 layer to extend one inch beyond the hand-glass 

 every way. Over the manure put two inches of 

 good rich soil ; turfy loam well chopped and heath 

 mould, in equal proportions, are the best. When 

 the bed is finished, put on the hand-glass, and 

 keep it close, covering it every night with hay 

 six inches thick, and over all a mat ; as these 

 coverings will retain the heat imparted to the 

 bed during the day by the sun, through the 

 hand-glass. As soon as the seed-leaves of the 

 plants in the hot-bed are expanded, they will be 



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