Bij Thomas Andrew Knight, Esq. 2 (."5 



advantages might be thus obtained in the very early culture of 

 the Cucumber. The cavity of the bed might be filled with 

 leaves or other material which would afford a temperate and 

 permanent heat ; whilst a current of warm and dry air would 

 be made to flow constantly into the bed above the level of 

 the mould in which the plants were placed. When the bed 

 is intended for this purpose, the perforations through the 

 bricks should be confined to those which stand above the 

 level of the mould. 



As soon as the crop of Melons in my bed was expended, 

 the pots were removed, and others of smaller size, and con- 

 taining Pine Apple plants, were introduced and supported 

 upon a frame of wood at proper distance from the glass, a 

 new lining being at the same time given to the bed. These 

 plants have subsequently thriven exceedingly, and I enter- 

 tain no doubt of their continuing to thrive through the win- 

 ter ; for the powers of a constant, though small, current of 

 heated air to sustain a high temperature are very great, ope- 

 rating not only by introducing heat, but also in opposing the 

 ingress of the cold external air, a circumstance to which I 

 particularly wish to attract the attention of the gardener. 



I will take this opportunity of suggesting an improvement 

 in the construction of the common Pine stove. If the wall 

 which surrounds the bark-bed were made hollow, and its 

 cavity given a communication, beneath the soil, (as in the 

 hot-bed I have described,) at its lower corners, with the ex- 

 ternal air, that would pass into the cavity of the wall, and 

 escape into the house through passages immediately beneath 

 the coping of such walls ; and warm air might be thus at all 

 times freely introduced with much advantage to the plants, 



