Feb.] the kitchen garden. 227 
fore be prepared in due time for the reception of these plants, and 
made in the same manner as directed in January, pages 12 and 13; 
observing that such must be three feet and a half, or four feet 
high when finished; for a less depth of dung will not produce the 
necessary heat which these plants require at this inclement season; 
and, besides, if the beds were made of a more shallow depth their 
heat would be soon spent, and lining could not be applied to them 
with so much advantage: for the latter reason particularly, they 
must be made wholly above ground. 
The bed being finished, put on the frame or frame and lights, 
which will defend it from wet, and bring up the heat the sooner, 
tilting the upper ends of the lights a little that the steam may pass 
off. In a week after the bed is made, if it has settled unequally, 
take off the frame and make the bed level, then immediately put it 
on again for good. 
After this let the state of the bed be daily examined with good 
attention; and when you find the violent heat is over, lay in the 
earth, but be sure to let that first pass away. 
The earth for this purpose should be rich and tolerably dry; for 
that is a material article to be regarded at this season. The earth 
proper for cucumbers may be either any prepared compost of rich 
loam and rotten dung, or of the temperature of light rich kitchen 
garden soil; but to prepare for this you ought, about the latter end 
of September, or in October, (if the most convenient) to take from 
some quarter of the kitchen garden, which is naturally light and 
dry, and well enriched by manure, a sufficient quantity of earth, 
and throw it up in a heap ridge-ways, in some dry place, open to 
the sun and air; mixing therewith at the same time some good 
rotten dung, breaking and blending the whole well together: a due 
quantity of this compost-heap should be carried into some shed or 
other sheltered place, open in front to the sun or free air, a month 
or a fortnight at least before you want it, that it may be preserved 
perfectly dry for earthing the bed. 
Then, when the bed is in order, lay about half a bushel or rather 
more of earth under the middle of each light, rising each parcel of 
earth in a round hillock about ten inches high; let the spaces 
between the hills and quite to the sides of the frame be covered 
with the same sort of earth, only two or three inches thick at this 
time, while the bed is in strong heat for fear of burning, as explain- 
ed below; but which, when the heat is become moderate, is by de- 
grees to be augmented till raised as high as the top of the hills, as 
hereafter directed. 
The reason for laying the earth in little hills, and not earthing 
the bed fully at once, is by way of precaution in case of violent 
afterheat, in which case it will more readily pass off in steam be- 
tween the hills; and likewise, because we may venture to use the 
bed some days sooner than if it was earthed all over at once to the 
full thickness; for if the bed should burn after the plants are in, 
you can more readily prevent the earth and also the roots of the 
plants from being burnt thereby, by drawing the earth away from 
