THE SECRETARY'S PORTFOLIO. 257 



■we are determined not to give sacii things any care we had better not have 

 them, for a neglect to have them will only argue a lack of love for refining 

 influences, while a failure to take care of them when we do have them, argues 

 both a lack of such love and a tendency to slovenliness. Garden crops are like 

 other crops, they will not grow without labor. On the farm the principle that 

 you cannot get something out of nothing holds just as good as it does anywhere 

 else. — Western Rural. 



CULTURE OF CUCUMBERS. 



Any one who has about 100 square feet of soil in farm or city yard exposed to 

 the sun's rays may raise plenty of cucumbers for a large family. I have of late 

 on account of the dry season, raised cucumbers after this fashion : Take a line 

 five feet long tied to a peg set in the ground, then with a peg on the other end 

 make a circle ten feet in diameter; this will be a little less than 100 feet. 

 Spade this up two feet deep; mix it thoroughly with leaf manure or well 

 rotted woodpile earth or thoroughly rotted stable manure, elevating the center 

 with a gradual decline to the border about one foot above the general level, 

 the clods well broken and the surface well smoothed. Knock both heads out 

 of a flour or other barrel and set it on the surface of the bed in the center of 

 the circle. Fill this barrel with the richest stable manure. The bed is now 

 ready. On the outside of tlie barrel, on three sides next to tlie sun, about the 

 time of planting Indian corn plant a dozen cucumber seeds, making three 

 hills, the north side being reserved for a footpath to the barrel. As soon as 

 the plants are secure against the striped bug or other contingency and have about 

 three leaves, thin them to two or three in a hill, being six or nine in all. As 

 the plants need water, pour a few bucketfuls into the barrel every day or two, 

 and the vines are prepared till frost for the most fruitful growth. As soon as 

 they are ready to run, being well weeded up to that time, place a light layer of 

 brush over the whole bed, to guard against chickens and dogs, and to form a 

 support for the vines and fruit. In cutting the fruit use care to avoid tread- 

 ing on the vines and cut the stems with a sharp knife. Tliose intended to be 

 cut for pickles should be cut with the stems left on the cucumbers. I have 

 cut, by count, 43 cucumbers an inch or two long for pickles in a single day. It 

 is best to cultivate and handle all tender vines in the late evening so as to give 

 a whole night for recovery before the sun scorches them. Persons raising 

 cucumbers in this way once will never try the old method again. AVhile the 

 striped bug attacks the cucumber most vigorously when planted in the old Avay, 

 the manure seems to be an entire preventative of tlieir presence; at least I 

 have never seen one on the vines raised in this way. — Indiana Farmer. 



GROWING PICKLES. 



The Michigan Farmer gives a grower's experience as follows: 



The laud should be perfectly free from weeds, finely tilled and manured at 



the rate of five or six cords of manure to the acre ; it should not be wet, but 



it should not be liable to suffer from drouth. Plant about six feet apart, six 



or eight seeds in a hill, thinning the plants to three or four when they have 



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