The Cucumber may be successfully grown as an early spring crop on a hot dung-bed, covered by a box frame and glass sashes. Commence by putting together a heap of fresh, unfermented horsedung, and, if leaves are at hand, add one-third in bulk; when the whole becomes well heated up, turn it over, still keeping it together, to prevent any check in the fermentation, and in a few days it will be ready for use. Choose a dry spot; measure off two feet wider and longer than the size of the box frame; excavate this area two feet deep, in which build up the bed to the height of four feet from the bottom; place on the frame and sashes immediately, which will protect from the cold, and assist fermentation. Wait for a few days, and when the maximum heat is ascertained, and a portion of the pungent smell has passed away, cover over the whole inside surface with three inches deep of soil. A thermometer may now be hung up out of reach of the sun, and so as not to touch the soil, and when it indicates 70° to 75° in the morning, without any offensive effluvia, the bed is in a fit state for the plants or seeds. A mound, containing the half of a wheelbarrowful of the before-described compost, may now be placed under the centre of each sash, levelling the top down to one foot from the glass.

Under this mound a tube of wood four inches diameter, and open at both ends, should be introduced, the object being to let the extreme heat pass off from beneath the roots. If the plants have been previously prepared, they may now be turned out of the pots, and planted in the "hills," or the seeds may be sown in the same places. With the variations of the weather, these beds work very unevenly in temperature, which makes a covering of boards around the sides of much service. At night, the glass also will have to be covered by straw mats or shutters, and if, with this, the thermometer happen to range too high during mild changes, the glasses may be tilted a little for the time being. In a week or two, the roots will begin to push out beyond the sides of the hills, and more soil will be required from time to time, until the first uppermost level is obtained over the whole sarface. Air will have to be admitted according to circumstances, and it is best to do this by propping up the sashes. Let the temperature range from 60° to 65° at night, and 75° to 85° by day. Stop the ends of the shoots, and prune as before directed.

It is requisite to give a slight shade during strong sunshine, while the plants are young, but, bv gradually withholding it, they will, after a time, bear any amount of light. As the season advances, and warm weather comes along, the glasses may be opened accordingly, until, finally, they can be entirely removed, and the plants will continue to bear most, if not all the summer.

Dung-beds, during fermentation, give off moisture, which is absorbed by the soil above, and, of course, at the commencement, there is not much water required; notwithstanding which, it will have to be applied occasionally, but never when rain-storms are present In fact, it is this kind of weather that makes the greatest difficulty with dung-beds, and, on this account, it is not advisable to begin with them sooner than the middle of February; but adopt the above-mentioned method, if it be desirable to have fruit in the winter months.