April 28.1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
327 
CUCUMBER CULTIVATION. 
( Continued from page 30$.) 
Planting. —Plants from a sowing made early in July will bo 
fit to place out in beds early in August. These are the autumn 
fruiters, affording fruit from October to Christmas inclusive. Seed 
sown early in August will give plants to place out by the middle of 
September. These are winter fruiters, and will give a few fruits 
in early winter, a full supply at Christmas, and continue it up to 
April. Plants from seed sown early in September will be ready to 
place out the first fortnight in October. These are winter fruiters 
and give fruit from Christmas to April. Seed sown early in January 
afford plants for planting out early in February. These afford fruit 
from early April onwards, and are termed spring fruiters. 
The soil in the pots must be moistened to the drainage when the 
plants are turned out, having watered them a few hours previously, 
thereby insuring the ball turning out clean, instead of adhering to 
the pot. Make the soil firm about the roots and place them so that 
about an inch of the stem below the seed leaves is clear of soil. 
Secure the stake supporting the plant to the wire of the trellis, but 
il there is a leaning any way let it be towards the path. If the 
weather is bright shade for a few hours in the hottest part of the 
day until the plants become established. A ring of soot around 
the stem will be useful as a safeguard against slug*, drawing it a 
few inchrs from the stem. The soil must be warmed through before 
the p’ants are put out. 
Temperature.—A temperature of 70’ to 7.">° should be secured 
as soon as possible after daybreak, or not later than 8 to 8.30 a.m. 
If the day be rainy or snow prevail the lower temperature or 70’ 
should prevail, if mild the higher or 73°. Sun heat will raise it to 
80 or 85° or more, closing from October to March inclusive by 
1 P.M. A temperature of 00° to 100° from sun heat will cause no 
injury. In very cold dull weather it is better to keep the tempera¬ 
ture between (55° to 70°. The minimum temperatures of 65° on 
mild nights and 80° on cold nights ought not to be registered until 
daybreak. In early autumn the temperature may be 5° higher if 
mild. In February, or as soon after Christmas as the weather 
admits, the days being brighter and longer, the night temperature 
should be 70’, falling 5° or even 10° when the nights are sharp and 
the days bright. 
There is much saving of heat in hiving canvas or other coverings 
for drawing over the roof lights in severe weather, and in very 
severe weather the thermometer should be so placed that it can be 
read from the outside through the glass. This will save opening 
the door many a time, letting out heat at 70° and admitting cold 
air. It will also be well to have mats suspended in front of the 
door so as to lessen the change of air in going in or out in very 
severe weather. 
Moisture. —Syringing the plants in the morning and again at 
closing time will be necessary until the weather is getting damp and 
dull in autumn. In dull weather it must not be practised, but a 
moderate degree of moisture should be maintained, but it is a 
matter that requires much care and judgment. In dull weather in 
November and December the moisture given off by the soil, &c., 
will be sufficient, or a light sprinkling only will be necessary. In a 
foggy time a rather dry condition of otherwise moist surfaces will 
1 >e necessary. In sharp weather, when more fire heat is necessary, 
the moisture must be correspondingly] increased. As the days 
lengthen more moisture will be necessary, syringing being practised 
at closing time, but some disiretion should be exercised, as it is 
important that the foliage become fairly dry before nightfall. 
Morning syringing is at best questionable, but practised early I 
think it an advantage in bright weather, especially when resorted to 
as a means of preventing or cleansing the plants of insects, as 
without syringing red spider gains possession and spreads with 
astounding rapidity. In bright weather damp the house th ee times 
a day—in the morning, at closing time, or early in the afternoon ; 
those being the times when the plants are syringed, and before 
leaving at night or from 5 to 8 P.M. On very bright days distribute 
water on the floor more than three times a day, the object being to 
prevent evaporation and keep cool and moist, but much may be 
effected in preventing evaporation from the foliate by keeping the 
ventilators closed in a period of bright windy weather. All water 
used should be of the same temperature as the house. To counteract 
the evil influence of a dry heat evaporation troughs are useful. 
They will not, however, be wanted in the dull moist weather of 
November and December, nor at any time when the weather is mild 
but wet. It is when the weather is bright and sharp that evap na¬ 
tion troughs have most value, and at such times they should always 
be kept full with liquid manure, so as to give off ammonia—a 
powerful aid in preventing the appearance of red spider. As to the 
time to supply moisture from the evaporation trough*, the cultivator 
will need to exercise his judgment according to the circumstances 
of the case. 
"Ventilation. —So long as the growth of the plants is slow the 
necessity of ventilation is not great ; indeed, in the winter months 
none is given, unless the temperature is likely to rise so as to cause 
growth to be made of a soft flabby texture, then ventilation is 
resorted to. The principle of ventilation is to accelerate evaporation 
and the assimilation of ihe juices of the plant. It will be obvious 
that admitting air after the temperature has reached 90° so as to 
lower it to 80° will be excessive, giving a sudden check. The true 
system of ventilation is to provide a little early—not to prevent the 
temperature rising, but to allow its advance, and then increase it 
with the advancing heat as early in the day as practicable, not 
allowing any diminution from the temperature reached without 
reducing the ventilation. This is extremely difficult to carry out 
in practice, so we close early and allow the temperature to decline 
with the sun’s power, and are careful about nothing further, as a 
temperature of over 100° is found safe with Cucumbers, though 
one of 90’ to 95° after closing gives the greatest case of mind. 
The temperature not rising above 75° no air is necessary ; above 
this it may be given in accordance with the sun heat, so that a tem¬ 
perature from it can be secured through the day of 80° to 85°. The 
chief thing is to avoid cold currents, which can be effected by some 
wool netting fixed over the ventilators, and to admit air on the lee 
side, at the apex first, except in windy weather, when it is better 
to allow the temperature to advance than admit cold air to 
reduce it. 
Watering. —It will be necessary to afford water to keep the 
soil moist. There ought never to be any attempt at watering until 
the soil becomes to some extent dry, yet not so dry as to causa the 
foliage to flag or cause a cessation of growth. Then a thorough 
supply should be given—enough to wet the soil through to the 
drainage. No more should be given until the soil again becomes 
dry, observing the same conditions as to not allowing the growth 
to be affected by deficient water. This is a fair criterion, but when 
the plants are in free growth and bearing water will be required 
more freely. It may only be wanted once a week in some weather 
and at certain stages of growth, and in other weather with the 
plants growing and fruiting freely it may be required two or three 
times a week. Plants having limited rooting area will have need of 
much more water when in full growth than those with a larger 
amount of soil. The necessity of watering must be ruled by the 
soil, the condition of the plants, and time of j r ear. They will require 
much less water in autumn and winter than in spring when the days 
are longer and evaporation stronger. All water used should be of 
the same temperature as the bed. 
Bottom Heat.— In the early stages of g -owth the base of the 
hillocks or ridges only will be heated, and these shonld not exceed 
90°. From the gradual earthing of the bed bottom heat becomes 
more important. In the case of the fermenting beds we have a 
temperature of 90°, which is too high, but it will decline, though it 
must be kept from doing so below 80° by means of the hot-water 
pipes running through the fermenting bed*. Keep the temperature 
of the bed steady at a foot depth from the surface at 80°, this being 
ascertained by a ground thermometer. The temperature of the 
bed will be somewhat less at 8 inches, therefore 89° is the minimum 
at a foot depth and 90’ the maximum, which must not be exceeded. 
The nearer it is kept to 80° the better, except when the temperature 
in a dull period is low for several days, when it may fall to 75°. In 
the case of a stagnation of growth from over-watering, nr a check 
of any kind, the bottom heat should be increased 5°, and the top 
heat kept moist and warm, so as to encourage root action and 
growth. — G. Abbey. 
(To be continued.) 
CHISWICK HOUSE, CHISWICK. 
This establishment, now tenanted by the Most Noble the Marquis of 
Bute, K.T., was once the residence of a former Duke of Devonshire, a 
munificent patron of horticulture, one who might be said to have had a 
passion for gardening, and President at that time of the Horticultural 
Society in its “ palmy ” days ; who sent collectors abroad in order that 
his own collections should be enriched with the sjwils as it were of 
other lands more horticulturally favoured than our own. Chiswick 
House has many claims on the attention of all horticulturists. In the 
days of the famous old Chiswick Shows the garden was the scene of 
many a notable gathering ; it might be truly saiil that illustrious people 
congregated there, attracted doubtless by the beauties of the house 
itself, the wealth of fine trees in which it is embowered, the rich lawns, 
tranquil water, and brilliant flower garden. Speaking of the Chiswick 
Shows, there is a link at Chiswick House binding us to the happy past, 
and, indeed, pleasing reminiscences in the history of the Society. 
Some gates, lately re-decorated, are still to be seen that once lc«l from 
the Duke’s grounds into the Royal Horticultural Society's Gardens, and 
