liS OF RAISING CUCUMBERS. SECT. X I \\ 



feem too hot, and likely to burn ; in which cafe, draw 

 the chief of the mould a fide round the frame, that the 

 heat may have vent in the middle, for a day or two. 

 As it is a thing effentially neceffary in the cultivation 

 of early cucumbers, to have rich earth, properlv dr\\ 

 it fhould be prepared, and laid by in autumn, in fome 

 airy flied or hovel. Let it be, if poihble, fome frelh 

 under turf earth, mixed with about one fourth part of 

 thorough rotten horfe dung, often ftirred together to 

 incorporate and fweeten. 



The Jewing may be made upon the hill of mould, 

 levelled down to about fix inches deep ; but if any fuf~. 

 picion of burning for in fhort at any rate;, it were 

 better to fow in a fmall pot or two, which fhould be 

 filled with the warm mould, and plunged a little way 

 in, more or lefs according to the heat of the bed, for if 

 the bed appears to be over hot, the pot may beraifed 

 from it ; cover the feeds half an inch, cind add a gentle 

 pre flu re of the earth upon them. In a bed of proper 

 temper, they will be up in three or four days, and 

 fconer or later, if there is too ftrong or too weak a 

 heat ; though the age of the feed will occafion fome 

 difference. Very old feed (which fome gardeners are 

 fond of, as running lefs to vine, and fo reckoned the 

 more fruitful,) will fometimes come up weak, and 

 alfo rot, when the mould is damp, and the heat not 

 itrong ; fo that feed of two, three, or at the molt, four 

 years of age is to be preferred : That of a year old 

 only comes up certainly, but too luxuriantly. 



- Whether the iirft feeds come up, or not, on the 

 third day, fow a few more, and fo again and again ; 

 for the early^young plants are incident to failures, from 

 various caufes. As the feed muff not be fown in wet 

 earth, fo if it gets too dry, fprinkle the mould to 

 moiiten it a little below the depth of the feed ; but 

 let it be with water previoufly fet in the frame (in a 

 bottle) to warm. Be Jure to give the plants air, 

 according to the weather, railing the lights from one 



half, 



