175 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, December 20, 1859. 
bath. As summer approaches, and goes on, thero may be no 
necessity for artificial heat in the atmosphere, when at times the 
roots would be better of a little. 
I mention these simple additions to “ A Gardener's ” plan, be¬ 
cause, though I hare grown Cucumbers successfully, by merely 
placing boxes and pots over a flue separated from it merely by a 
couple of bricks to stand upon, yet I have had a flourishing crop, 
and, what was worse, the plants that bore them destroyed in a few 
minutes by an explosion in the flue. That, again, was partly 
owing to the flue being old and “ casualty,” as they say here¬ 
abouts, and partly to the water trickling on the flue from the 
pots and boxes when watered. If, instead of doing as advised, 
our correspondent would rather use the simplest improvement, 
then it would be to pack the part over the Hue, and by the side 
of it next the path, with bats, &c., sloping from the flue, and 
leave part of the upper row of pigeon-holes. Through these he 
could pour water on the bats when necessary ; and he could have 
wooden plugs with a nail in them, by which he could stop these 
pigeon-holes at pleasure. That plan, however, would be inferior 
to having slides and evaporating-pans on the flue, and still more 
inferior to the opening from brickbats and air-pipes left in front. 
I notice, also, that there seems to be no upright glass in the 
sides. On that account the plants may bo inserted higher, and 
the beds may thus be raised higher, to have the advantage of all 
the light possible when young. The plants should also be in¬ 
serted pretty near the pathway. Cucumbers are not particular 
as to soil, provided it is fresh, light, and flbry loam. In winter 
I prefer adding a good portion of heath mould and charcoal. In 
summer give rotten dung instead of the peat earth, or good top 
dressings of old manure; not forgetting manure waterings in dry, 
sunny weather. 
In such roof-training it is best to train to one stem without 
stopping until it nearly reaches the length; and then, when 
stopped side-shoots will come thick enough. Let the trellis be 
fifteen inches from the glass. 
So much for general ideas as to growing Cucumbers by means 
of flue heat. “ Can Cucumbers be so grown to profit ?” I pre¬ 
sume to sell. I say no, so far as the dead winter months of 
November, December, and perhaps January, are concerned. Not 
only because there is less sun in these months and more fire 
heat required, but because there are not enough people fond of 
eating them to pay remunerating prices for them. Things may 
bo altered now; but at one time a person might look in vain for 
a purchaser of Cucumbers in these months in London. Hence 
I have seen Cucthnbers selling cheaper in December than in May. 
Some one better acquainted with the market would do well to 
give “ A Gardener ” a practical hint in this respect. 
“ Can I begin now ?” The middle of December will be reached 
before you sec this ; and between that time and the new year would 
be a good time to sow, so as to have strong-bearing plants to 
meet the London season in February, March, April, May, and 
J une. 
“ Can I raise plants in such a house? ” No doubt you can ; 
but I question if with profit, unless you raise as many plants as 
would supply pretty well a county, and expect that county to come 
to you and buy them. A very small space of these beds would 
gi - ow as many young plants as you would want for all the house ; 
and still if you raised them in the house as high a temperature 
would bo needed for them as if you had a houseful. Unless, 
therefore, you had something else in the house needing as 
much heat as the Cucumbers, you could not raise them there 
profitably, so far as your own supply was concerned, without re¬ 
sorting to some contrivance to economise heat. Supposing that 
at the hottest end you filled your pit with sweet fermenting tan, 
you could sow the plants in that, and cover with hand-lights, 
and cover these hand-lights at night with mats, and thus much 
less fire heat would do to bring the plants forward. In order 
that that fire heat might not be lost, you might grow plants in 
the other part, or have the pits six inches or a foot deeper 
than I have supposed, and fill them half full or more with tnn, 
and fill one half with Rhubarb, and the other with Sea-kale, 
which might be all out and sold before you wanted the space for 
your Cucumbers. If such a contrivance could not well be 
resorted to, I would put up a single or double-light hotbed, 
and in that sow and grow enough plants so as to have them 
some size before I took them to the house. When profit is an 
object, as little fire heat as possiblo should be used, Ey raising 
the plants in the house along with Rhubarb, Sea-kale, and even 
Mushrooms, the temporary things would pay for the firing. 
Altogether, as trec-lcavcs and tan likewise are easily accessible 
in your neighbourhood, I would raise the plants by ono of 
the modes referred to ; and then I would fill both of these pits 
with one or both—say leaves below, and tan above, and high 
enough to permit them sinking a foot; and then, instead of 
planting the Cucumbers out, I would grow them in pots about 
sixteen inches in diameter, finally; but shifting them two or 
three times until they were fit to go into that size, and larger, 
and then plunge them one in a light, or every three or four feet 
along each side. By this means the pits would not be occupied 
with Cucumbers altogether until the plants were some size. 
Growing this way in pots, if top dressing and manure waterings 
were attended to after the days lengthened, would, I have no 
doubt, yield you as many, if not more fruit, than if you had 
planted out in a bed of soil; whilst the tan would give you an 
addition of nice, moist heat, and yield nourishing gases every 
time you turned its surface. A plant could also be moved at 
any time without inconveniencing its neighbours. 
Of kinds the most prolific is Sion House , or Lord Kenyon's 
Improved, for winter and spring ; but I do not know how it would 
take in the London markets. Two very good kinds for spring 
and summer are CuthilVs LlacJc Spine and Hunter's Prolific , 
the latter wliite-spined and a very fine Cucumber. Ayre's Per¬ 
petual, black,-spined, is also very good for trellis training, and so 
is Mowroe's Prolific , lately advertised. 
Some people may imagine that I am learning to walk back¬ 
wards in saying so much about growing Cucumbers with profit 
by flues ; but many even in the neighbourhood of towns have to 
resort to many makeshifts, and some of them, as well as “ A 
Gardener,” may, perhaps, pick up something out of my 
gossip. R. Fish. 
WHITE VETCH. 
In answer to the query to “ R. A.” of the 29th of Nov. in The 
Cottage Gardener— “ What is it you call White Vetch ? ” The 
plant was given to mo about three years ago, and was simply 
called “ White Vetch.” It is a hardy herbaceous plant, grows 
about two feet in height, with a profusion of white flowers from 
July to September; little known, and well deserving a place in 
every garden. It does capitally planted in a long ribbon-border 
in front of the common Laurel in the background. For instance: 
1. Common Laurel. 
2. White Vetch ( Vicia cracca fioribus-albis). 
3. Scarlet Geraniums. 
4. Flower of the Hay ditto, edged with Lobelia erinus. —R. A. 
[This is a white variety of the Tufted Vetch Vicia cracca , 
“English Botany,” 11G, and may turn out as useful as the 
Variegated Mint. Wo never saw it before, nor do we find any 
further mention of it than in Donn’s “ Dichlamydeous Plants,” 
ii. 317, where, under Vicia cracca , it is said “ far. y albifiora: 
(lowers pure white.”] 
PLACING FERMENTING MATERIALS ON 
THE SURFACE OF VINE-BORDERS. 
Having been taught in my boyhood that it was highly neces¬ 
sary in forcing Vines, of which the roots were” in the external 
border, to cover over the ground a good thickness with fer¬ 
menting leaves and manure, and having seen it so done by many 
cultivators, and having done it many years myself, it may, 
perhaps, seem strange that I should attempt to write a word in 
its condemnation. Early impressions are parents of prejudice, 
especially when backed by long experience of others ; therefore, 
to investigate for ourselves more than we do the various dicta we 
receive from time to time, is a duty we ought to practise. 
I have found this difficulty in thus treating Vine-borders: 
when you have put on the heating materials, and a nice genial 
warmth succeeds, you will find the Vine-roots all attracted to 
the surfaco, and the next thing, they will be running riot among 
the dung and leaves. This, for a time, stimulates the Vines, and 
all goes on w ell so far; but the Grapes colour, and the time is 
come for the removal of the fermenting materials. You then 
find them filled with long, white, fleshy, and most tender roots, 
many of which are severely injured in the operations, while others 
suffer much injury from moving and exposure to the air. No 
sane person would think of performing this operation, except 
during a fine, sunny day, when all is mild and favourable. But, 
unhappily, in this country, we have such sudden changes of the 
weather, that the next day may bo bitterly cold, and all that is 
