710 



THr- PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



up with (lung or leaves, sweepings of lawns, or any vegetable 

 substance capable of aflbrding heat by means of fermentation. 

 This will not only add to the heat of the ridges, but will also 

 increase their surflice for the plants to be trained upon. If 

 the directions formerly given have been attended to, as far as 

 regards sowing successional crops of seed of these plants in 

 j)ans or pots placed in the beds in a more advanced state of 

 growth, there will be by this time an abundance of young 

 'plants, fit for planting out upon these ridges. As soon as the 

 ridges are put up, about the height of two feet and a half and 

 three feet broad, and the heat sufficiently up, let their whole 

 surface be covered with mould, such as is used for cucumbers 

 in the pits or frames ; and for melons, mould should be used 

 of a stronger quality, as has been already noticed. This co- 

 vering of mould should not be less than ten inches thick over 

 the whole ridge, and whore the plants are to be placed it may 

 be fifteen, laying the whole in a sloping manner, both to throw 

 off superfluous water, and to expose the plants to a better 

 angle to the horizon ; the mould afterwards to be increased in 

 depth as the roots of the plants extend fhemselves. 



In planting out the plants, let three be placed in each hole, 

 as has been directed for ridging out in (he hot-bed frames, 

 and each patch of plants or holes, as they are termed, be 

 placed at the distance of three feet and a half apart, exactly 

 in the middle of each ridge. When the plants arc put in, 

 give a gentle watering (the chill being prc^-iously taken off) 

 to settle the mould round their roots. Place over each patch, 

 or hole, a large bell-glass, or hand-glass, which may be shut 

 down close for the first day or two after planting, to encou- 

 rage the formation of fresh roots. If the weather be clear, 

 <and much sunshine, let each glass be shaded until the plants 

 have taken root in the fresh mould : this shading to be only 

 used during sunshine, and removed when all danger of its 

 power is over. They will require to be covered with mats 

 every evening till towards the end of the month, or probably 

 till the middle of the succeeding one, so as to guard suffi- 

 ciently against cold, damp, or frosty weather ; for if they be 

 checked with cold at their first setting off, gum, canker, and 



