378 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



>\'lu'ii :i lai-oe acrenjie is grown, llie practice is t(» double lurniw ilic 

 roAV, iliai is, ])lo\\ a dead furrow every six feet. In lliis furrow dis- 

 li'iltnic ilic uiaiinic willi a niaiiiir<» spi'cadcr. iisiiio ilu> altacliincut to 

 iiarr(i\\ u]) the disrliarjic Con cr the iiiaiiurc Itv pldwinji" a hack rurrow 

 ujKtn it. IvoU as soon as possible and drag the lidgc \\itli the rest of 

 the field, draggiiig lengthwise of the rows. The seed may be i)lanted 

 in hills u]H)ii tliis ridge or a garden drill may he used and a continuous 

 row so^\ u. Thcrt- should be a jilant cmm-v two or three inches and 

 these should be tliinned to a foot or eigliteen inches as soon as all danger 

 from the cucundiei- beetle is over. A continuous rowi has some ad- 

 vantages over hill ])lanting hut if the ground is inclined to crust, the 

 young ])lants ^\iil have tnore dilliculty in breaking ihi-ough than if they 

 were planted in hills. The ground is more evenly occupied and the 

 roots are not so crowded. Sucli a row is also easier to pick especially 

 if, when the vines have run about two feet, they are placed at right 

 angles to the row. Cucumbers should be cultivated to destroy weeds 

 and to maintain a dust mulch. Any cultivator suitable for corn will 

 do the work but the teeth should be set more shallow for cucumlK'rs 

 than for corn. It is better not to work too close to the plants with 

 the cultivator, and if the soil crusts and tliere are weeds in the hills, 

 they will refjuire one or two hand hoeings. It will i)ay well to culti- 

 vate often enough to maintain a good dust mulch. 



When cucumbers are grown luider contract, the comi)any usually 

 reserves the right to choose the variety that shall be planted by their 

 growers. This is done for two reasons: (1) If each individual grower 

 was ]»ermitted to choose the variety he shotild grow, there would be a 

 great many varieties planted which wotdd result in a lack of uni- 

 formity in the cucumbers delivered to the salting stations. (2) Most 

 pickling companies market the bulk of their small cucumbers in glass 

 jars or bottles. They have found that only three or four varieties 

 produce suitable cucumbers for this purpose. 



Boston Pickling, Chicago Pickling and Snow's Perfection are the 

 three varieties that are usually grown under contract. The}' are pro- 

 lific yielders, ])roducing their cucumbers in clusters. 



When cucuml)ers are grown to be sold direct to the consumer or to 

 a retail grocer, some strain of the White Spine is generally grown. 

 This is a prolific variety which yields tine straight cucumbei-s but 

 which are a little too large in diameter to be suitable for bottling. This 

 is also a good variety to grow when it is desired to i)roduce early 

 "slicers." Slicers are the large cucumbers suitable for slicing and are 

 eaten fresh. 



Some of the Long (iri'cn strains will produc<i "slicers'' of better (juality 

 but not so early in the season as the White Si)ine. They are fr(»er 

 from seeds and the flesh is firmer and when well grown, they will com 

 pare favorably with hot house cucumbers. Varieties suitable for hot 

 liouse culture are not adapted to be grown under field conditions. 



TTsnally cuctnnbers aic ]>lanled about .Iniie Isi and jiicking will begin 

 the latter pari of .liil\ or ilie fii-sl of August, de|)ending upon the 

 (hrifliness of the \ines. The first two or three ]>ickings will hardly pay 

 for the gathering but it is very necessary ((» i-emove them foi- the good 

 of tlie vines. The fewer the cmiunbers I ha I are albtwed to become 

 full grown, the better will the vines heav. Aery few growers realize 

 what a bail eti'cct it has upon \ines to allow the (Mn'iunbcrs to become 



