1064 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



and the details of forcing, including varieties, temperature, watering, transplanting, 

 pruning, pollination of flowers, etc. Relative to houses the author says: "The 

 cheapest and most economical house to build and operate in the production of 

 cucumbers is an even or two-thirds span house of large dimensions, such as is most 

 frequently used by lettuce growers. The construction, heating, and management of 

 a large house are proportionally cheaper than of a small house." 



The variety of cucuuiber chiefly grown is the AVhite Spiue or some similar sort, 

 though in many instances a cross between White Spine and the luiglish forcing 

 variety Telegraph is used. CJiant Pera sometimes crossed with White Spine does 

 not produce a desirable hybrid. A night temperature of 65° and a day temperature 

 of 85° F. is considered the most desirable, and a higher temperature in sunshiny 

 weather. Transplanted jilants have not been found to grow faster or make better 

 plants than jjlants grown directly in the seed bed. The results secured in experi- 

 menting-on the effects of various amounts of light show a difference of 10 to 80 per 

 cent in the maturity of cucumber plants caused ])y exposure to single, double, and 

 triple layers of glass. These experiments and others in which the activity of starch 

 development in the leaves of the jilants on sunny days was observed, using flrst and 

 second quality glass, clean and unclean glass, etc., brought out clearly the much 

 greater carbon dioxid assimilation of the plants with every increase in the amount 

 of light. Shadows caused by heavy frames or adjacent buildings retarded assimila- 

 tion and gave rise to immature plants. With plants in the greenhouse 24 to 30 in. 

 apart the author believes the 1-shoot system of training preferable to training 2 

 shoots. 



In pruning experiments with White Spine, in which a single leader and several 

 laterals were allowed to grow without pruning, "the average yieltl of fruit on the 

 main shoot was 18 per cent higher than upon the laterals. The lowest laterals, or 

 those nearest the base of the plant, came next in the i>roduction of fruit, and the 

 others or higher laterals followed in uniform succession in fruit production. The 

 fruit matured earlier upon the main shoot than upon the laterals, the lowest laterals 

 more nearly approaching the main shoot in this respect, and the other laterals fol- 

 lowing in uniform succession. The main shoot showed a gain of 36 per cent in the 

 length of time re(iuired to mature its fruit over the first lateral. Of the fruit formed 

 on the laterals, 61 per cent occurred in first axils. The number of internodes 

 between the successive formation of fruit on the plant was in the largest numlier of 

 cases seven." 



Considerable other data along this same line are given with 4 varieties in wliich 

 the plants were allowed to develop a single leader and as many laterals as appeared, 

 the laterals being pruned at the second leaf, or in case fruit did not set in the first 

 axil of the lateral they were pruned just beyond the axil where it did set. In the 

 latter experiments 93 per cent more pistillate fiowers were found on the laterals than 

 on the leader. 



"Cutting the leader of the main shoot or j)runing the laterals caused an increase 

 in the number of laterals. Where laterals are not cut, they are not formed as a rule 

 in the axil of every leaf. Pruning causes a larger amount of fruit to set in the first 

 axils of the laterals, as it was found that in the experiment where pruning was 

 practiced 91 per cent of the axils produced fruit, against 55 per cent where no prun- 

 ing took place. In some instances where the leader was nipped on unpruned plants, 

 this resulted in causing a slight increase in the amount of fruit in the first axil of the 

 laterals. In conclusion it may be stated that from our experience the advantages of 

 pruning seem to be an increase in the yield of fruit, and a concentration of fruit on 

 the plant." 



Notes are given on the lack of color in cucumbers, productiveness, and the vitality 

 of cucumber seeds. 



The origin of various varieties of American muskmelons, F. W. Rank {New 



