Cu2 TIIF. rnVCYICAL CARDr.NF.R. [Fch. 



pared, l)y icpoatcJ tuniing oiul fermciUinc^, giving plenty of 

 water, shor.Kl it be dry in the first instance, or heat-dry in the 

 process. Tlie materials of which such beds shouhl be built, 

 ought to be of the very best quality, and if leaves arc to be had, 

 one-third or even one-half of them should be added. They most 

 generally give out a more lasting and more regular heat than beds 

 built (jfdung ah)iir. If either material be scarce, a bed ( f the 

 samc'dimensic-ns may be built of fagots, heath, or any useless 

 sjiray, which, being heated by means of linings of hot dung, or 

 dung and leaves, will be found to answer the purpose very 

 completely. Beds of this kind we have already recommended, 

 and for many purposes they arc better than beds built entirely 

 of dung; in such beds there is little chance of the roots of the 

 plants sustaining injury by burning or over-heat. 



In either case, as the plants appear strong enough for 

 ridif/pg out, let the beds be prepared for them, of the follow- 

 ing dimensions. For cucumbers, their height at the back 

 should not be less at this season than four and a half feet, 

 and three and a half in front, that is, if they be built upon 

 ground nearly level. The following reasonable method has 

 been recommended by Knight, and is now very generally 

 adopted. Instead rf bvi! l:'"r tlie beds upon a level piece of 



ground, he places them upon an inclined plane of earth, ele- 

 vated ai)out 15°, malvinu- the bed afterwards of an equiil 

 height, botli at the back and front, as in the annexed figure. 



