Got 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



be too rauch for the cucumbers, and by that time plenty of 

 cucumbers will be in use from the beds out of doors." 



We would suggest the necessity of keeping the glass, botli 

 of the roof of the house and the sashes of the frame, as clean 

 as possible, as the rays of light will have to pass through 

 both. The nearer that the plants can be kept to the roof of 

 the house, the more light will they enjoy, and be less liable 

 to be drawn up weakly, the only objection we see to the pro- 

 cess. 



In preparing to cultivate cucumbers and melons, either upon 

 beds composed of dung only, or of fagots to be heated by 

 means of dung-linings, it will be necessary, in the first place, 

 to prepare dung wherewith to form a seed-bed. For this pur- 

 pose, such a quantity of good fresh dung should be procured 

 as will be sufficient, after being well fermented, to form a bed 

 about five or six feet wide, and three and a half or four feet 

 long, and about five feet high at the back, and four at the 

 fi-ont, upon which to place a one-light frame, which will be 

 sufficient for the purpose of rearing seedling cucumbers and 

 melons for any ordinary family. The dung for this purpose 

 should be under the process of fermentation for a sufficient" 

 time to allow the fiery heat and rank steam to be fairly ex- 

 hausted, during which time, it should be frequently turned 

 over, and well mixed at each turning, so that the whole body 

 of dung will heat equally when put up into the bed ; this is of 

 much consequence, as if not done before the beds are made 

 and the seeds sown, it cannot be done afterwards, indepen- 

 dently of which, the heat will be more permanent and equal. 

 The lenfjth of time that the d\in" should be thus in a state of 

 preparation, must be determined by the state of the weather, 

 and the quality of the dung. In building the seed-bed, let 

 the dung be well shaken with a fork, and regularly laid up 

 one course above another, and well beaten down with the back 

 of the fork, but not trodden with the feet. When it is of suf- 

 ficient height, place the fi*ame upon it, and put on the glass, 

 which may be covered up wnth mats, either single or double, 

 which will help to draw up the heat. When this is suffi- 

 ciently up, level the surface of the bed, and to guard against 



