SECT. XIV. OF RAISING CUCUMBERS. 177' 



and attention is necelTary to produce them. Ail 

 favourable circumflances coinciding, as lowing the 

 forwarder! feed in kind, mild and funny weather, and 

 plenty of dung, with good frames, managed by (kill 

 and induftrv, early cucumbers are fometimes raifed in 

 about eight weeks, and later in the feafon. have been - 

 raifed in fix ; but near upon three months, muft com- 

 monly be allowed. 



A bed being ready, agreeable to the directions given : 

 in the Iaft fection, which may be four feet high in 

 January, three and a. halt feet in February, and three 

 teet in March^ or the medium as a general rule; let it 

 be covered with the frame and lights, railing the glafles. 

 a little to let off the (team that will come llrongly. 

 from the bed. 



When the heat has been up three or four days in a 

 Tingle light, or a day or two more it a two light 

 frame, let it be taken off, and fee that the furface of 

 the bed is perfectly level, but rather riling, behind ; 

 and if you think the bed is hardly flrong enough, the 

 opportunity is given to add a courfe or two more of 

 dung. Having levelled the bed neatly with the fork, 

 beat it fmooth with a ihovelor fpade, and put the frame 

 and glai's on again. 



% The temper of the bed is now to be attended to, that 

 it be not moulded till the burning heat is over; a judg- 

 ment of which may be formed, by keeping tw 7 o Iharp 

 pointed fmooth flicks thruflin behindhand occasionally 

 drawing and teeling them, by a quick grafp of the 

 hand. Endeavour to hit the exact 'time, not putting 

 the mould on too foon, as it is liable to burn, nor 

 delaying too long, and lb to lofe time, and too much .. 

 of that heat, the bed was made tor. 



The -moulding, is thus ; .lay ail 'over the. bed about 

 three inches thick of rich loofe (not over light) and 

 dry earth, and add as much, in the centre of trie light 

 as will raife a hill eight, or nine inches deep, which as 

 fqon as .warm through, is to be ufed, except the bed 



15 feerjpg* 



