14 
ON GROWING CUCUMBERS. 
growing them all the year; that is, growing them in the pine-stoves. 
This system, though not so congenial to the growth of the cucum¬ 
ber, may, in the depth of winter, he found more successful than the 
usual method, and it has been practised for many years, though I 
believe but to a very limited extent: It was the prevailing opinion, 
that they could not be brought to perfection, owing to the dry and 
heat they were subject to in the stoves. 
Then it is desirable to have cucumbers for table throughout the 
winter, the pine-stoves are the most proper places to grow them in, 
as the labour and expense are nothing comparatively speaking to what 
attends the pits or boxes, I mean to say in the months of December, 
January, February, for it is striving hard against the steam at that 
untimely season of the year. 
The best sort of cucumber is undoubtedly the Syon-free bearer, 
for it so soon produces fruit, which is of great importance ; as to those 
sorts which are longer coming into bearing, their vital energies are 
exhausted before they can produce fruit, owing to the dry ungenial 
heat in which they grow, and those kinds which fruit the quickest 
are the best adapted for the purpose, provided they are handsome 
fruit, and not of the very short prickly kinds. 
The seed should be sown in August, and the plants will Come into 
bearing in November. The pots should be placed on a shelf, about 
eighteen inches from the glass in the stove, as there is no necessity 
for making a seed bed at this time of the year. When the seed- 
leaves are nearly full grown, they should be potted, two plants in a 
forty-eight sized pot, and kept in the shade a couple of days, and 
then placed again on the shelf where they may remain till finally 
planted. They ought to be supplied freely with water, the shelf also 
ought to be placed under one of the moveable lights, if any, to admit 
air in fine weather. They may either be grown in boxes made for 
the purpose, or large pots. Boxes are the best when made- about 
three feet long, eighteen inches deep, and twelve inches wide. In 
the low Calcutta houses, they should stand along the back curb of the 
pit. When the young plants have nearly filled the pots with roots, 
they should be planted out; the soil should not be so light as is ge¬ 
nerally used. To four barrowsful of fresh loam, add two of rotten 
dung, and one of vegetable mould, which should have been well 
mixed, and for some time exposed to the air. It should be sifted 
moderately fine, putting the sifting about three inches at the bottom 
of the boxes. The boxes should be brought into the house, filled 
with the compost, and remain till the soil is warmed before planting. 
If pots are used, two plants will be sufficient to be turned out with 
