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week they will have grown enough to 
enable the operator to “stop” them by 
taking out the terminal bud from each 
stem, and as the plants advance this 
must be repeated, always removing the 
bud one joint before every fruit that ap¬ 
pears. In a short time, if the plants go 
on satisfactorily, they will require fresh 
earth to be applied over the ridge spoken 
of; this should be of the same kind, and 
it is advisable to warm it a little before 
laying it in contact with the roots ; it 
is better to add this earth in small 
quantities as the roots are protruded, 
the fresh mould emits a gentle vapour, 
and is found to be more congenial to 
the plants, continuing the practice till 
the frame is full. The admission of air 
is a very important feature in the ma¬ 
nagement ; it must be given freely in 
proportion to the heat of the bed and 
state of the weather; the former must 
be kept up to 70° by night and 75° in 
the day, and with sun heat may be al¬ 
lowed to rise to 85°. When the ther¬ 
mometer indicates anything lower, the 
beds must be cased round with two feet 
of the prepared dung before mentioned, 
packing it up to the top of the frames; 
and as the interior heat declines these 
linings must be turned and renewed, so 
as to maintain it to the required point. 
Iu the early part of the season it will 
be necessary to set the female or fruit¬ 
bearing blossoms, by rubbing the style 
with pollen from the male flowers, the 
same as mentioned previously, because, 
from the lights being generally kept 
close, the air or insects have little chance 
of getting to them. The fore-shortening 
or stopping of the branches should be 
continued throughout the season, and 
about two days after a fruit is “ set” 
the leading bud of the shoot should be 
taken out to throw strength into it; 
and should any of the fruit grow in a 
crooked manner, they may be straight¬ 
ened with small pegs driven into the 
soil, or what is better, each one should 
be laid on a piece of wood having a row 
of holes lengthwise on each side, into 
which the pegs can be placed, so as to 
bring it back to the desired form. 
Something of the kind should be pro¬ 
vided for every fruit, to keep it from the 
damp soil, or otherwise the lower side 
will turn yellow and look unsightly. 
These plants will continue to bear 
throughout the summer, and after May 
should be allowed the full influence of 
the natural atmosphere, by removing 
the lights all day, or altogether, if the 
weather is fine. 
For the autumn supply, plants of a 
hardy kind should be prepared by sow¬ 
ing in April, and rearing them in a 
frame in pots till the end of May, when 
a place should be provided on a warm 
border for them, by making a slight 
hotbed and covering it with rich earth, 
into which the young plants are to be 
placed, and covered with a handlight till 
they are thoroughly established, after 
which they will require some attention 
to stopping, and the branches should 
be fastened down to the earth with pegs, 
and they will form fresh roots as they 
proceed, to the great assistance of the 
future fruit. Gherkins are treated in a 
similar way, except that they do not 
require any further pains than to be 
planted on a south border, and to be 
well supplied with water in dry weather, 
as indeed is necessary with Cucumbers 
in any position. Where it is desired to 
keep a supply throughout the year, it 
will be advisable to strike a few cuttings 
from the most healthy plants of the 
hardy kinds about the end of July to 
furnish fruiting plants through October 
and November, when, in all probability, 
the early plants in the cucumber-house 
will be quite exhausted and the young 
ones not ready; cuttings are to be pre¬ 
ferred because they are more precocious, 
though but short-lived, yet, as it is only 
a temporary assistance that is required, 
they are best suited to afford it with 
the least trouble; under such circum¬ 
stances, they will require nearly the same 
treatment as seedlings, and must be kept 
in the house along with those which 
are progressing for the spring supply. 
From the extended list of varieties 
now in cultivation we select the fol¬ 
lowing : 
Cambridge Prize. Medium size, short 
