earth of the bed, if're q u ired for planting, may be taken up with a small ball of earth, and planted
similarly. With water warmed to the air of the bed, give a very light watering about the roots, and shut
down the glasses for the present, or till next morning. Shade the plants a little from the mid-day sun a
few days, till they have taken root in the hills, and cover th e glasses every evening with large mats, which
should'bc taken offin th e morning.” . . a, •. a-
3236. Temperature for fru itin g plants. Abercrombie’s minimum is 55°, and maximum in th e daytime
65° the same as for the seed-bed. M'Phail says, “ It appears, that during the wmter and spring months,
the medium heat of the air in the frames should be 75° and the medium heat of the mould 80°. But
when the sun shines, the heat of the air in the frames is often raised to a much higher degree ; so t h ^
reckoning this heat, the medium for that of the air of the frames may be 80°.” {Gard. Remem., p. off)
3237. Linings. T h e requisite degree of heat Abercrombie is careful to support m the bed, when
declining, “ by timely linings of hot fresh dung, which may be applied to the sides, 15 in. qr 18 in. m
width, and as high as th e dung of the bed. Generally line the back part first, and th e other m a week,
or from ten days to^a fortnight after, as may seem necessary by the degree of heat in the bed. Sometimes,
if the heat is fallen abruptly below the minimum degree, it m ^ be proper to line both sides moderately,
a t once, to recover th e temperature sooner and with better effect; but be particularly careful never to
over-line, which would cause a too violently renewed heat and steam in the bed. T h e dung for linings
must be fermented, as in first building a bed.” , -av
3238. Covering. This must be nightly performed till June ; proportioning the warmth of the cover to
the heat o fth e air in the bed, and th at o fth e external air. Mats are laid next the glass ; on these a layer
of hay, and over this mats, made fast by boards, but not hanging over th e linings. M'Phail says. My
method of covering up was as follows : in the first place, I laid clean single mats on the lights, in length
and breadth, just, or nearly, to cover th e sashes, taking care not to suffer any part ot the mats to hang
over the sashes on or above the linings, for that would be the means of drawing the steam into the frames
in the night-time. On these mats was spread equally a covering of soft hay, and on the hay was laid
another covering of single mats, upon which were laid two, and sometimes three or four, rows of boards,
to prevent the covering from being blown off by the winds. Tho mats laid on next to the glass are
merely to keep the seeds and dust which may happen to be in the hay from getting into the frames among
th e plants. If the bed be high, in covering up, steps or short ladders must be used by those whose oliice
it is to cover and uncover ; and great care must be taken not to break or injure the glass.”
3239. Air. Abercrombie directs to '' admit air every day, when the weather is moderate, without
much win d ; and always more freely in sunny days than when cloudy and cold, or frosty. Open the lights
behind, only a little a t first, sooner or later in th e day, according to the temperature of the season ; in-
cre.ising the opening, from about J in . , to 1 In., 2 in., or 3 in., or very iittie rnore (decrease the
opening occasionally, if the weather, m the early part of the season, changes very cold) ; and shut closer
in the same gradual order towards afternoon ; generally shutting close m the evening, unless, in the
early state o fth e bed, a considerable hea t and steam continue. In this case, you may occasionally leave
open about half an inch, hanging the end of a mat before each opening.” , . ,
3240 Water. Give necessary waterings, with water warmed to the air of th e bed, mostly m the forenoon
of a mild day, in early forcing ; and in a m orning or afternoon, in the advanced season of hot sunny
w eather^^^^^ _ When the first heat of the bed is moderated, add more earth between the hills ;
raising it by degrees equal with the tops of the hills, all in level order, from 8 in. to 10 in. thick.
3242. Training. To force the cucumber into early fruit, Abercrombie directs to “ stop tbe runners as soon
as the plants have made two rough leaves: as the bud th a t produces the runner is disclosed at the base ot
the second rough leaf, it may be cut off or picked out, or, if tho runne r has already started, it may be
pinched off close. This is called stopping at the first joint, and is necessary to promote a stronger stocky
growth, and an emission of fruitful la terals; and from these, other prolific runners will be successively
produced. The vines, without the process of stopping, would generally be both weaker, and so delicient
m fertile runners that they would sometimes extend 2 ft. or 3 ft., without showing fruit. \1 hen plants
which have been once stopped have extended the first runners to three joints without showing fruit,
they are to be again stopped, for the purpose of strengthening the plant, and disposing it for bearing.
As fertile runners extend, train them out regularly along the surface, fastening them down neatly with
^*^243. Upright training. Cucumber plants being climbers, by means of th eir tendrils, some branchy
sticks being placed to any advancing runners, they will ascend and produce fruit, at a distance from the
ground, of a clean growth, free from spots, and wel! flavoured. ^ , v,i
3244 Setting the f r u it. “ T h e cucumber,” Abercrombie observes, “ bears male and female blossoms
distinctly on tlie same plant. The latter only produce th e fruit, which appears first in miniature close
under the base even before the flower expands. There is never any in the males; but these are placed
in the vicinity of the females, and are absolutely necessary, by the dispersion of their farina, to impregnate
the female blossom; the fruit of which will not otherwise swell to its full size, and the seeds will
be abortive. The early plants under glass, not having the full current of the natural air, nor the assistance
of bees and other winged insects to convey the farina, the artificial aid of the cultivator is necessaty
to effect the impregnation. At the time of fructification, watch the plants daily; and as soon as a female
flower and some male blossoms are fully expanded, proceed to set the fruit th e same day, or next morning
at farthest. Take off a male blossom; detaching it with p a rt of the footstalk. Hold this between
the finger and th um b ; pull away the fiower-leaf close to the stamens and anthers or central part, which
amilv close to the stigma or bosom of the female flower, twirling it a little about, to discharge thereon
some particles of th e fertilising powder. Proceed thus to set every fruit, as th e flowers of both sorts
open, while of a lively full expansion; and generally perform it m th e early p a rt of the day; using a
fresh male if possible, for each impregnation, as the males are usually more abundant than the temale
blossoms In consequence, the young fruit will soon be observed to swell freely. Cucumbers attain the
proper size for gatherihg in about fifteen, eighteen, or twenty days from th e time o fse ttm g ; and often
in succession, for two or three months or more, in the same bed, by good culture. The above artificial
operation will be found hoth necessai y and effectual in forcing the cucumber, between the decline of
autumn and May, while the plants are mostly shut under glass. In plants more freely exposed to the
open air in the increasing warmth of spring, and having the full open air in summer, from June or July
till September, the impregnation is effected mostly or wholly by nature . T h e male flower/ being by
some ignorantly denominated false blossoms, are often plucked off as useless, under a notion of strengthening
the plant: but this should not be generally done. Where crowded too thick m c lu s te r , some
mav be thinned out moderately; b u t their agency being absolutely necessary in ie rtili/n g the females,
thev should only be displaced as they begin to decay, except where they are superabundant. ’ _
3245 Gathering the crop. Cucumbers are used green or unripe, and before they have attained their full
size They are cut and gathered when 4 in ., 5 in ., Cin., or Sin. long, according to th ek in d s. To this
s iz e th e y a tta in in te n d a y s , or a fortnight, in tb e best part of the season. _
3246. To save seed. Select some best summer fruit, from good productive plants; which permit to
continue in full growth till they become yellow. Then cut them from the vine, and place them upright
on end, in the full sun, for two or three weeks; when they may be cut open, and the seed being washed
out from th e pulp, spread it to dry and harden: then put it up in papers or bags for future sowing, it
will remain good many years: and seed of three or tour years’ keeping is prelcrable for early frame
“ those who would have cucumbers on
CULTURE OF TH E CUCUMBER, 801
them on a brick-bed, the fruit were constantly firm and well-flavoured • which is
S r i s h i d i ” ^ goodness and wholesomeness of the food with which the plants are fed or
^ 4 9 . The chief advantages o f M'PhaiVs fram e are stated to b e : —
ju st where the plants are first placed, seldom rises higher than to about 80° or 8.1° nor does it ever rise
higher in any part of the pits than about 96° or 97°; nor do I believe it ever Lm b1 ?Msed h h r l/r th-m
the planfo by top heat or heated a ir : whereas, in a bed made / f d u n i tlm h S t
9 00 , L a®a/ ® m wh ich the plants are planted, frequently a r is o f to above
120° when, a t the same time, the air in the frames can s/arcely be kept up to a propeV S r c L of heat
happens m cold weather in winter. The scorching heat of i hotbed oFlioise-dung when
too hot for plants, is equal to 130° and more ; and hereabout is probably the heat of blood in fevers ”
. h /Tffj'GS no nwre working than tvkat is necessary to bring it to
m the linings, it circulates m the flues, and warms every part of the bed; whereas the dun<^ for making
a common cucumber-bed must be turned and worked, and lie till, by fermentation, its rank qualitief
a d v r a t a g r ™ ''lolent heat bo somewhat diminished. This, as already noticed, is a very great
s f a m i J S K 7 “ “ ‘u linings o f a dung-bed do, and that because the flues are cou.
of i h Z h t e a f r e ■ 7 ■'»"b.e >■,“ 1« «f n» vacuity for the retention of the steam, the steam
r o „ t V ™ £ i d ‘t K t e consequently the heat of the linings is
• J Y ' Y k i '"'riV immediately: the heat of the linings will drv the lime of thp
■hflf i f /L 1*® The evaporation in the frames, from th e moist lime of the joints of the brickwork
f ? • ? P '^ ’^en_a bed is set to work before it be dry and steady, great care
must be taken not to injure the brickwork m filling up the pits.
made perfectly close, no
tmnted or bad-smelhng air can get through them into the bed, so that it is of little or no concern whe-
tner the dung of the mings be sweet or otherwi,se, or whether the linings be made of dung, or of anv
thmg else, provided there be a_sufficient heat kept in them, ancl no pernicious steam be drawn in a m S
( & / n d i i . S l . ) " ' ' M'Phail’s frame has already been given and descrffill
of the cucumber in stoves. “ Cuciimber-plants,” M'Phail observes, “ will grow in a
cuit'vated; but they will not be very long-lived there, for that is not a
heMthy climate for them. In August, sow the seeds in boxes filled with vegetable or other light earth
f o i ? shelves in the b a ^ side of the hothouse, where the sun may shine on th?m in th^
p 301 ) They may, perhaps, produce a few fruit in the month of December or January. {Gard. Rem.,
s to ? th te ¥ 7 tr 'w Y n 'ie ° r ! i / o n o T T / " “ “ S ‘'re“ ' " r e '
3252. The plants being raised on a well-prepared one-light hotbed, when the cotyledons or seed-leaves
became neariy of full growth, the plants were potted out two into each pot, known to gardeners about
London by tiie name of upright thirty-twos. When these pots became filled with roots, the plants were
again shifted into larger ones, called sixteem, and removed from the seed-bed into a three-light frame,
with a sufficient bottom-heat to allow a considerable portion of air being given day and night, both in
the Iront and back qf the frame. About the middle of September, th e plants, having again filled their
pots with roots, and become stocky, were taken from the frame to the stove, and after a few days received
the last sffiftinginto larger pots o fth e following dimensions:—at the top Min. over, tho bottom
V P' and 12 in. deep, all mside mea sure; each pot, a t equal distances apart, having three side
ura n-hqles near the bottom, and a larger one in the centre of the bottom, and containing about three
pecks ol solid earth. The plants were fruited in a pinery. On the front edge of the back flue of this
stove, a iascia-boarding, 6 in. deep, was affixed, the whole length of th e building, forming all alone a
trough or enclosure for a reserve of compost after the exhaustion of the mould in the pots had taken
place. I h e pots were now placed in regular order upon th e mould-trough over the flue, at 3 ft. apart
and remained m this station for good, for succession. A setting of the second sowing was placed upon
the end flues of th e house; underneath each pot was set an upright circular gardeii-pan, 6 in. deep, and
14 in. diameter, which being filled with earth, the pots were plunged therein about 2 in. deep, and the
dram-holcs, bemg sufficiently covered with mould, served as outlets to the roots. The fire-heat of the
stove was kept day and night at 60° to 6-5° Fahrenheit’s thermometer, varying only a few degrees when
the sudden influence of sun or steam produced an additional glow of climate. The plants being now
established and vigorous, required stopping for laterals and fru it; and these second and third lateral
shoots in their turn were stopped also, and the blossoms from time to time set, as usual, for succession
ol supply. 11 atenngs were necessary only when the surface of the earth was evidently dry, and light
sprmklmgs of soft water, tempered in the stove, were occasionally given over tho leaves of the plants
and path with good effect. Steam from a well-regulated flue was considered ahvays favourable to the
cultivation, but applied sparingly on account of its scalding effect upon the leaves when the vapour proved
oyer-heated. I o r th e mildew, flowers of brimstone, coloured leaf-green by a little soot, has been applied
with the best success in all stages of the disease; and copious fumigations of tobacco were used tor the
destruction of the several species of the aphis tribe. Under this simple practice, winter cucumbers have
been produced abundantly in the months of October, November, December, and part of January in all
the royal gardens of Her Majesty during a series of years.
3253. Growing the cucumber under hand-glasses. The following method is given by M'Phail as that
generally practised:—“ The seeds are sown some time about the middle of April m a cucumber or
melon bed, and when they come up, th ey a re potted out into small pots, two or three plants in each pot,
and are kept properly watered, and stopped a t the first or second joint. About tho middle of May, a
warm situation, where the mould is very rich, is pitched on, and a trench is dug out about 2 ft. deep,
3 ft. broad, and the length is proportioned according to the number of lights it is intended for. This
trench is filled with good warm dung, and when th e dung is come to its full heat, it is covered over with
8 in., 10 in., or 12 in. deep of rich mould. The glasses are then set upon it about 3 ft. distant from each
other, and when the mould gets warm under them, the plants are turned out o fth e pots with their balls
3 F
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