The Bulletin. 1^ 



Clay or clay loam soils, if well prepared, will produce a heavy crop 

 of "cukes," but they will be comparatively late. Low soggy lands 

 should be avoided. If the soil has been made acid by turning under 

 heavy crops of green manure, it should be sweetened by use of lime 

 before planting cucumbers. ' 



Nearly every vegetable grower has his particular method of growing 

 cucumbers. The essentials, however, are usually the same in all cases. 

 The land is prepared by plowing rather deeply and making free use 

 of harrows, but too much subsoil should not be brought up at a single 

 plowing. One of the secrets of success iu cucumber growing is to have 

 the soil in such perfect tilth that the young plants can take hold 



readily. 



Cucumbers are usually planted 2 to 6 feet apart in rows 5 to 6 feet 

 apart. To get cucumbers particularly early — and these are the ones 

 that generally command the best prices— plants are sometimes started 

 in hotbeds and cold frames. As cucumber plants do not transplant 

 very successfully, the seed for the early crop is started in pots and 

 then transferred to the beds when danger of frost is past. Even if they 

 have started to put out runners before transplanting to the field, it 

 does not hurt them, provided the pots are large enough to accommo- 

 date the roots and care is taken to see that the dirt adheres to the 

 roots in transplanting. For later crops the seed may be planted 

 directly in the field. 



Wliether cucumber seeds are planted directly in the field or started 

 in pots, the field culture will be the same. They are cultivated shallow 

 and often till the vines are too long to permit cultivation. Every 

 effort should be made to start the plants off quickly and keep up a 

 continuous growth. The vine and fruit are both more or less succulent 

 and any lack of moisture caused by improper cultivation or preparation 

 will have a marked effect on the crop. No time should be lost in 

 breaking the crust which will form onr the land after every rain. 



Cucumbers will stand heavier fertilization than is usually given 

 them, provided the fertilizer is well incorporated with the soil. If 

 stable manure is used, it should be well rotted, as cucumbers do not 

 give best results on very rough manure. A fertilizer about as follows 

 will usually give excellent results : 



Acid Phosphate 7 per cent 



Nitrogen 5 per cent 



Potash 7 per cent 



The nature and previous treatment of the soil should be taken into 

 consideration in the application of any commercial fertilizer. 



When very early cucumbers are wanted — and they are the ones which 

 usually command the highest prices — cold frames can be utilized to 

 advantage. In this case they are planted earlier than when they are 



