New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 347 



CAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF THE CUCUMBER CROP. 



It should be borne in mind that what is said under this head 

 does not apply to cucumbers in general but only to late cucum- 

 bers, which are grown chiefly for pickling. Such sucumbers are 

 planted from about June 20 to July 4, and commence bearing 

 about August 1. During the picking season all cucumbers more 

 than about one and one-quarter inches long are gathered every 

 other day so that none are allowed to become large and seedy. 

 These cucumbers are universally called " pickles," the name 

 cucumber being applied only to those which are allowed to be- 

 come nearly or quite full-grown. The latter are sold in the city 

 markets while " pickles," for the most part, are sold under con- 

 tract to the local pickle factories. The contract binds the farmer 

 to grow a definite number of acres of "pickles" and sell the entire 

 product to the factory at a stipulated price. The customary 

 price for 1896 was one dollar per thousand. Sometimes they are 

 sold by weight. The pickle industry on Long Island is a large 

 and important one. 



During the month of August, 1896, the writer visited a large 

 number of cucumber fields in various parts of Long Island for 

 the purpose of ascertaining the cause of the cucumber failure 

 of which farmers were complaining. As there are several fungus 

 and insect enemies of the cucumber, we expected to find that 

 the trouble was not in all cases due to the same cause. It 

 seemed likely that in different fields different causes would be 

 found doing the work of destruction. Such was, in fact, the 

 case, but to a much smaller extent than might be expected. 



The striped cucumber-beetle* was found to be doing very little, 

 if any, damage. This insect seldom does serious injury to late 

 cucumbers. 



In a few fields the melon-lousef was present in destructive 

 numbers. This is a small, greenish insect, which feeds on the 

 leaves and roots of cucumbers, muskmelons, squashes and var- 

 ious other wild and cultivated plants. Cucumber plants in- 



*Diahrotica vittata Pabr. 

 ^ Aphis goasvpii Glover. 



