The Garden Under Glass

i86 THE GARDEN UNDER GLASS sure of keeping down rank heat and obnoxious gases it is a good plan to cover the heating material with a few inches of soil or cinder ashes. The soil intended for planting may then be put in a mound in the middle of each light and be left for a day to become warm. The soil may consist of fresh loam and horse manure in equal parts, with some leaf-soil added. Preference should be given to horse droppings which have been used for mushroom beds, as the rankness will then have departed. About a bushel and a half of soil should be sufficient for the planting of two cucumbers. It is not advisable to make the soil firm. Such firmness as is imparted by patting the soil with the palm of the hånd will be ampie. Nor after planting should any greater firmness be aimed at. Two plants may be planted to each light, the one to be trained towards the top and the other towards the bottom of the frame. Where there is no greenhouse for rearing the young plants they must be bought, but for the benefit of those who have facilities for raising their own plants the method of doing so will be outlined. It is safer always to put in more pips than will be wanted, else failure will cause in-convenience or delay. The best plan is to insert the pips singly in small pots. The pot, after being duly crocked, is nearly filled with sandy soil. A hole is then made with a dibber, or with the finger, a pinch of sand is put in, the pip is inserted, and is covered with sand, and afterwards with soil. In this way the process of throwing out root and top is facilitated and there is little danger of loss from rotting. If put into a propagator growth will quickly protrude, and in a short time it will be possible to accommo-date each plant with a 3-inch pot, and eventually with a 5-inch pot, from which size or a 6-inch they may be planted. After planting, the main items of culture are syringing and manipulation of the growth. The syringing should be