cue 
cue 
and to be separated for increase in the 
autumn. 
CRESS. Lepidium sativum (De Can¬ 
dolle.) Nat. Ord. Crucifer re. A well- 
known salad ; through the winter it is 
obtained by sowing rather thickly in 
boxes placed in heat of about G0°, and 
the produce is cut when about two 
inches high. It is advisable to leave 
the seed without covering, for if earth 
is spread over it, the mould is drawn 
up among the growing stems, aud some 
difficulty is found to rid them of gritti¬ 
ness when prepared for tabic. In sum¬ 
mer a shaded border grows it best, and 
the same rule of sowing on the surface 
should be observed. Normandy Cress 
is sometimes grown as a substitute for 
Water Cress; it only requires to be 
thinly sown on a shaded piece of ground 
about the end of March, and will afford 
several gatherings through the summer. 
In the forcing of Cress any light mate¬ 
rial may be used instead of mould, such 
as decayed tan, moss, &c., and is, on the 
whole, rather preferable, as the plants 
usually grow faster. 
CU CUMBER. Cucumis sativus 
(Linn.) Nat. Ord. Cucurbitacece. The 
culture of this fruit must engage the 
attention at some time or other of all 
who profess to horticulture. Much has 
been written on the subject, and yet we 
believe there is scarce a plant about 
whose culture less positive rules can be 
laid down; for, with the best reading 
possible, we defy any one to succeed 
with these plants at an early period 
without considerable practical expe¬ 
rience in the matter. In our limited 
space we can do no more than enumerate 
the leading features of its management, 
nor, perhaps, is more desirable; for, as 
before observed, it is nonsense to talk 
of qualifying for a Cucumber-grower by 
reading alone. 
Some years ago it was considered a 
feat of extraordinary skill to produce 
Cucumbers at mid-winter : the present 
state of horticulture admits of their pro¬ 
duction at all seasons, and we have 
known fruit cut from a single plant 
through every month of an entire year. 
Their culture may be divided into three 
periods: first, the winter; second, the 
spring and early summer; and, lastly, 
Midsummer and the autumnal months. 
To ensure fruit through the winter 
months, at anything like a reasonable 
expenditure of material or trouble, it is 
essential that an erection adapted to 
their management be devoted entirely 
to them ; to incur the expenses and 
chance of keeping them at this period 
in common hot-bed frames would be ab¬ 
surd, now that the application of hot 
water is rendered so effective and eco¬ 
nomical. The cucumber-house should 
be comparatively small, not exceeding 
six feet in width or eight in height, the 
length to be proportionate to the re¬ 
quired supply ; the roof should be com¬ 
posed of the best glass, in as large 
squares as may be possible for the un¬ 
interrupted admission of light; and that 
this may be ensured still further, it 
should be placed at a very sharp angle. 
The common lean-to is, perhaps, the 
best, and with an area like that de¬ 
scribed, it should reach from the top of 
the back wall to within a foot of the 
ground in front, perpendicular lights not 
being required. A space of about two 
feet at the back should be reserved for 
a path, and the remainder occupied with 
the bed in which the plants are to grow; 
under this a Rendle’s tank should be 
fitted for the supply of bottom heat, in 
connexion with a couple of pipes passing 
the length of the house close to the front 
wall, and open to the exterior of the 
bed, to assist iu maintaining the requi¬ 
site temperature for the plants to grow; 
both may be readily worked from the 
same boiler fixed on the outside of the 
house, and but little expense will then 
ultimately be incurred. Early in Au¬ 
gust seed should be sown for the produc¬ 
tion of plants to begin fruiting about De¬ 
cember ; these will require all the en¬ 
couragement that can be given them to 
grow vigorously and become well esta¬ 
blished before the winter; to do this 
they should be planted into the bed as 
soon as they have attained their first 
rough leaves, and after having been 
stopped by taking out the terminal buds 
at least twice, they may be trained up- 
