June.] 



THE FORCING GARDEN. 



739 



In proportion as the fruit attains maturity, many of the leaves, 

 from various causes, will appear lifeless ; their office being 

 completed, they may be removed, for the purpose of admitting 

 as much light and sun to the remaining crop as possible, as 

 well as to ripen the wood for that of the succeeding crops 



They should not, however, be removed until they be of no 

 longer use to the plants. Their removal will also clear the 

 house of any remaining spiders, or other insects, that may 

 have made their appearance since the watering has been 

 desisted in. 



CUCUMBERS AND MELONS 



The cucumbers in frames will still require attention. Water 

 and air should now be freely supplied to them in larger portions 

 than hitherto. They will now require to be watered every 

 or every alternate afternoon at least. Several persons only 

 water once or twice a week ; but it is much better to give this 

 very necessary element often, and in less quantities at a time. 

 They should be freely watered over-head with a moderately 

 coarse rose watering-pot, so as to wash off the dust from their 

 leaves, which to all plants is always extremely injurious, as 

 the dust falling upon their leaves stops the pores through 

 which they are supposed to breathe, and which must, conse- 

 quently, be highly detrimental to them. Independently of 

 which, there is something so congenial to the growth of cu- 

 cumbers in a humid atmosphere, that frequent sprinkling with 

 water is necessary to their welfare. 



The plants should now have air freely given to them, by 

 tilting up or drawing down the sashes according to the state 

 of the weather. Unless it be cold, and very wet and cloudy, 

 the linings need not be kept up so strong as hitherto; still it 

 would be advisable to keep up a moderate temperature for the 

 welfare of the plants. Towards the end of the month, the 

 plants, if in frames, may be allowed to extend their shoots 

 from under them, by having the frames lifted up, and sup- 

 ported upon bricks or other props at their corners. The 

 linings should, in that case, be earthed over, for the vines or 

 shoots to run upon; for, by this means, the plants will extend 



