334 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



CUCUMBER GROWING. 



Circular No. 30. 



Prei'aratiox ov the Soil. To produce cucumbers profitably a loca- 

 tion is uecessary near a good sized town or a salting station and where 

 enough help to do the picking can be secured. The crop will do well 

 on a variety of soils. If planted on soil that is inclined to be light and 

 also deficient in humus, tlie yield ma}' be small unless rain is plentiful 

 during July, August and September. If planted on heavy clay, the 

 plants may suffer in a wet year from the soil becoming hard and packed, 

 caused by tramping while picking the cucumbers. A clay loam that is 

 well supplied with humus or decayed vegetable matter is very satis- 

 factory. If it is tile drained, so much the better, for at picking time one 

 must get on the ground to pick no matter how wet the soil may be. 



A clover sod plowed earl3\ worked down and harrowed occasionally 

 until planting time makes a good seed bed. Timothy sod handled in the 

 same way is also suitable if it is not too badly infested with cut worms. 

 In fact, any soil intended for cucumbers should be plowed early and 

 kept well worked until planting time. Such a method of handling pays 

 for several reasons: 



First. — It helps rid the soil of weeds. When soil is plowed, rolled and 

 worked down reasonably fine, millions of weeds will germinate in a 

 few days w'hich can be destroj'ed by harrowing on a bright day. A 

 second harrowing a Aveek later will destro}^ a second lot of seedlings. 

 A third and fourth harrowing will destro}^ a third and fourth lot of 

 seedlings and the fourth lot will just about rid the top soil of weed 

 seeds. The cMapest, quickest and best louij to cultivate a crop is to 

 harrow the soil before the seed for that crop is planted. 



Second. — Keeping the soil well worked conserves moisture and en- 

 ables the seed to germinate no matter how dry the weather may be at 

 planting time. Soil that has not been plowed or worked until it is need- 

 ed for planting is quite likely* to be dry and full of clods. By the time 

 these clods have been worked down sufficiently fine, the top soil has 

 lost much of its moisture. Such soil might do as a seed bed for corn or 

 for any crop with large seeds which may be planted quite deeply, but 

 it will not be satisfactory for cucumber seeds which should not be 

 planted over an inch deep. Soil which has been plowed early and har- 

 rowed occasionally will be moist an inch below the surface, even during 

 a very dry time. Seed planted in such a soil will germinate readily and 

 produce an even stand of vines which is worth a good deal to any 

 grower. 



Third. — Early plowing and frequent harrowing will put the soil in 

 such a physical condition that it will not pack and bake after every 

 rain. It will become loose, mellow and friable; rain falling upon it 

 will drain away, leaving it in practically the same condition as it was 



