cue 
the young cucumber-plants in (lores; for, as thefe con- 
veniencies are now pretty generally made in the curious 
kitchen-gardens in mod parts of England, this method 
may be more univerfally pra6tifed. But in fuch gardens 
where there are no (loves, the feeds fliould be fown upon 
a w'ell-prepared hot-bed ; and here it will be the bed way 
to fow the feeds in fmall halfpenny pots, becaufe thefe 
may be eafily removed from one bed to another, if the 
heat fliould decline ; or, on the contrary, if the heat 
fliould be too great, the pots may be raifed up, which 
will prevent the feed or the young plants from being in¬ 
jured thereby. When the plants are come up, as was be¬ 
fore diredled, there fliould be a frefli hot-bed prepared, 
with a fufficient number of halfpenny pots plunged there¬ 
in ready to receive the plants, which muft be planted 
into them in the fame manner as before diredted, and the 
after-management of the plants mull be nearly the fame; 
but, as the fleam of the hot-bed frequently occafions 
great damps, there muft be great care to turn and wipe 
the glades frequently, to prevent the condenfed moifture 
falling on the plants, which is very deftructive to them. 
There muft alfo be great attention to the admitting frefli 
air at all proper times, as alfo to be careful in keeping 
the bed to a proper temperature of heat; for, as there 
is a want of fire to warm the air, that muft be fupplied 
by the heat of dung : afterwards thefe plants muft be 
ridged out in the fame manner as before directed. 
If the bed is of a good temper for heat, your plants 
will take root in lefs than twenty-four hours; after 
which time you muft be careful to let in a little air at 
fuch times when the weather will permit, as alfo to turn 
the glafles upfide down every day to dry ; for the (team 
©f the bed condenfing on the glafles, will fall down upon 
the plants, and be very injurious to them ; therefore 
whenever the weather is fo bad as not to permit the 
glaffes to lie turned long, you fliould at lead turn them 
once or twice a-day, and wipe off the moifture with a 
woollen cloth. But you muft alfo be careful how you 
let in too much cold air, which is equally deftructive to 
the tender plants; to avoid this, it is a very good me¬ 
thod to faften before the upper fide of the frame, where 
the air is differed to enter the bed, a piece of coarfe cloth 
or mat, fo that the air which enters may pafs through 
that, which will render it lefs injurious to your plants. 
You muft alfo be very cautious in giving water to the 
plants while young ; and, whenever this is done, it fliould 
be fparingly, and the water fliould be placed either in a 
heap of dung, or infome other warm place, for feme time 
before it is ufed, fo as to be nearly of a temperature for 
warmth with the inclofed air of the hot-bed ; and, as the 
plants advance in height, you fliould have a little dry 
lifted earth always ready to earth up their (hanks, which 
will greatly ftrengthen them. You muft alfo be very 
careful to keep up the heat of the bed, which, if you 
fliould find decline, you muft lay a little frefli litter round 
about the (Ides of the bed, and alfo keep the glades well 
covered in the nights or in bad weather: but if, on the 
other hand, your bed fliould prove too hot, you fliould 
tliruft a large flake into the fide of the dung, in two or 
three places, almoft to the middle of the bed, which 
will make large holes, through which the greateft part 
of the fleam will pafs off without afeending to the top 
of the bed; and, when you findi t has anfwered your 
purpofe, by Hacking the heat of your bed, you muft flop 
them up again with dung. 
Thele directions, if carefully attended to, will be fuf¬ 
ficient for railing the plants in the firft bed ; you mutt 
therefore, when you perceive the third or rough leaf 
begin to appear, prepare another heap of frefli dung, 
which fliould be mixed with afties, as was before direct¬ 
ed ; this lhould be in quantity according to the number 
of holes you intend to make. The common allowance 
for ridging out the earlieft plants is one load to each 
light or hole, fo that the bed will be near three feet 
thick in dung; but for fuch as are not ridged out till 
U M I S. 451 
March, two loads of dung will be fufficient for three, 
holes. 
In making thefe beds, you muft carefully mix the 
dung, (halving it well with the fork, (o as not to leave 
any clods of dung unfeparated, as alfo to beat it down 
pretty clofe, to prevent the (team from rifing too haftilyj 
you muft alfo be careful to lay it very even, and to beat 
or prefs down the dung equally in every part of the bed, 
otherwife it will fettle in holes, which will be very hurt¬ 
ful. When you finift laying the dung, you muft make a 
hole exactly in the middle of each light, about a foot 
deep, and eight or nine inches over ; thefe holes muft be 
filled with light frefli earth, which fliould be fereened to 
take out all large (tones, clods, &c. laying it up in a hill; 
and in the middle of each thruft a (tick about eighteen 
inches long, which fliould (land as a mark to find the 
exaCt place where the hole is ; then earth the bed all 
over about three inches thick, levelling it fmooth, and 
afterwards fet the frame upon it, covering it with glafles; 
but, if there is any apprehenfion of the dung heating too 
violently, the earth fliould not be laid upon the bed un¬ 
til the heat is fomewhat abated, which will be in a few 
days, and then the earth may be laid upon the bed by 
degrees, covering it at firft two inches thick ; and a 
week or ten days after another inch in thicknefs may be 
laid on, but there fliould be the whole thicknefs of earth- 
laid upon the bed before the vines begin to run ; and if 
this thicknefs of earth is at laft fix or feven inches, the 
vines will grow the ftronger for its being fo thick ; for, 
if the roots are obferved, they will be found to fpread 
and cover the whole bed as much as the vines extend 
above ; and, when the earth is very (hallow, or too light, 
the vines will hang their leaves every day for want of a 
fufficient depth of earth to fupport their roots ; fo that, 
if they are not conftantly and well watered, they will not 
have ftrength to laft long, nor to produce fair fruit; and 
the giving them too much water is not fo proper, nor 
will it anfwer near fo well as the giving a depth of eartli 
upon the dung. 
In four or five days time your bed will be in fit order 
to receive your plants, of which you may eafily judge 
by pulling out one of the (licks which was put in the 
middle of the holes, and feeling the lower part of it, 
which will fatisfy you what condition your bed is in ; 
then you muft (tir up the earth in the middle of the holS 
with your hand, breaking all clods, and removing all 
large (tones, making the earth hollow in form of a ba- 
fon ; into each of thefe holes you muft plant two plants, 
in doing which, obferve to make the holes for the plants 
a little flanting towards the middle of the bafon, efpe. 
daily if your plants are long (hanked ; this is intended 
to place the roots of the plants as far as poffible from 
the dung, to which if they approach too near, the lower 
part of their roots is fubjedt to be burned off; then fet¬ 
tle the earth gently to each plant, and, if the earth is 
dry, it will be proper to give them a little water (which 
fliould be warmed to the temper of the bed, as w'as be¬ 
fore directed ;) and if the fun lhould appear in the mid¬ 
dle of the day, they ffiould be (haded therefrom with 
mats until the plants have taken root, which will be in 
two or three days ; after which, you muft let them en¬ 
joy as much of the fun as poffible, obferving to turn the 
lights in the day time to dry, as alfo to give a little air 
whenever the weather will permit. 
You muft alfo obferve to keep the glafles covered every 
night, and in bad weather; but be very careful not to 
keep them covered too clofe, efpecially while the bed 
has a great (team in it, which will caufe a damp to fettle 
upon the plants, which, for want of air to keep the fluid 
in motion, will ftagnate and rot them. 
When your plants are grown to be four or five inches 
high, you mult, with fome (lender forked (ticks, incline 
them toward the earth, each one a feparate way ; but 
this muft be done gently at firft, left by forcing them too 
much; you fliould (train or break the tender rebels of 
the, 
