ions, spread two barrows-full of old tan or light mould all over
the surface, having it a little deeper in the middle than at the sides.
Old tan is certainly more preferable than mould, though either will
answer the purpose. Let it be put in the frame the day before the seed
is sown, and cover the bed up with a single mat at night, taking care to
shut it down until the morning, that the heat may be properly drawn up.
Take some forty-eight size pots, and mix a quantity of leaf mould with
a sixth proportion of road sand, not sifted fine. The sifting mould to a
fine degree is an error too prevalent in horticulture, and ought
particularly to be avoided, from its great tendency to bind.

It is very requisite that a cucumber should have a good digestion, and
in order to accomplish this, it will be necessary to cover the holes at
the bottom of the pots with broken pieces; then strew a little of the
rough siftings of the mould over it, and fill them up within half an
inch of the brim with the prepared mould and sand. Shake it down a
little, and sow the seed[3] from eighteen to twenty-four in a pot, just
covering it with a little mould; then give it a small quantity of water,
which for the first time may be cold, but great care must be taken in
the subsequent waterings, that it be chilled to about the warmth of new
milk.

The seed being sown, plunge the pots in the bed up to the rim, and give
them about half an inch of air. At night they must be covered with a
single mat, taking care to turn it up at at the back, that the steam may
pass freely from the bed. Let the air be continued both night and day.

After the seed has been sown three days, it will be up, when the pots
must be unplunged, placed on the surface, and some water given to them.
They will now require upwards of an inch of air, both night and day,
which will cause the plants to grow stuggy, or dwarfish, and prevent
their drawing. In about three days give them some more water in the
morning, and they will be ready to pot off in the afternoon.

Plants should be always potted off when young, as they strike more
freely in the pots; and, in doing this, the following directions should
be attended to.

Put the mould in the bed to chill, the day before potting off, and let
it be of the same description as that in which the seed was sown. If the
pots are old and dirty, wash them, and be careful in having them
properly dried before they are made use of. Take some old rotte