130 
REVIEW. 
A TREATISE, 
ON THE 
ARTIFICIAL GROWTH OF CUCUMBERS AND MELONS, 
Conjointly with that of Aspai'agns, Mushrooms, Rhubarb, &c. To which are added, 
BRIEF OBSERVATIONS ON THE GROWTH OF EARLY POTATOES, 
BY JOHN. SMITH, 
Nearly 20 Years Gardener to Dykes Alexander, Esq. of Ipswich. —7s. Gd. 12mo. 60 Pages. 
Ancient History furnishes us with the information that cucumbers and melons 
were held in great esteem, not only by the inhabitants of eastern countries in 
general, but also by the Jews themselves; and in Numbers xi, 4,5, the writer 
says, that “the mixt multitude fell a lusting, and the children of Israel wept 
and said, we remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers 
and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic.” That it was 
customary to set a watch in the spot of ground which was chosen for the cultiva¬ 
tion of cucumbers, is pretty evident from Isaiah i, 8, where the daughter of 
Zion is said to be “left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of 
cucumbers.” 
That since its introduction to this country in the year 1573, it has been with 
us Britons, of all classes, a great favourite, will be readily admitted. But the 
climate of our country being less favourable to its growth than that of the east, 
artificial means are necessarily employed by us to accomplish that object which 
nature does for them; namely, its successful growth. Every person in any way 
acquainted with the nature of the plant, knows that it delights in a strong and 
moist heat, and that as fermenting substances afford the best which can be ob¬ 
tained, these are made use of for the attainment of the desired object; but when 
they operate, or when their heat is brought into action, it often proves that they 
contain and impart properties which are exceedingly hurtful, and very com¬ 
monly destroy the very finest plants, and that, too, when no danger is appre¬ 
hended. 
On the contrary, if the pernicious properties be extracted or properly guarded 
against, that is to saj 7 , not suffered to come in contact with them, there is no 
heat so congenial to its constitution; nor is there within the Hortus Brittanicus, 
a plant which under a continuance of good treatment repays more gratefully all 
favours. The modes of treatment which are pursued in the cultivation of this 
plant are known to be very numerous, and the author himself having, as he 
tells us, dived pretty deeply into them, he feels no difficulty in describing, 
though imperfectly, a great number. The first noticed, is the common dung 
bed mode of growing. The preparation of the materials for which, that is to 
say, the turning over and over again, require, according to some persons account, 
three, others four, and some six weeks, before they are in a fit state to be made 
up into a bed ; to which may be added two or three weeks more before the bed 
is in a proper state to receive the plants, being in all from six to nine weeks in 
making an imperfect habitation for that humble plant, the encumber. Here is a 
loss of time, labour and heat w 7 ith a w itness, for when time and labour have been 
