in. Great care and attention are necessary 
e spar 
_ it to remain with the sashes a little open for 
a few days, to let off any rank steam, which 
‘end of March. 
ce 
AN ENCYCLOPADIA 
OF HORTICULTURE. 405 
Cucumber—continued. 3 
advances, the plants may be syringed morning and evening, 
using water that has been standing in the house to warm. 
Plenty of air should be admitted in warm weather, but 
draughts must be avoided. The training will consist chiefly 
in stopping the main shoot when on to the trellis, to train: 
the laterals a good distance apart,and keep thinning out, 
to admit all the light possible. Additional soil should be 
given each time the roots appear through the mounds, 
until sufficient is collected to enable the plants to reach 
their limits, when liquid manure may be applied. Light, 
thin shading will be necessary in bright weather, or the 
leaves will burn, especially if there is any water on them. 
Plants that are required to stand the winter, should be 
inserted not later than the end of August, 
or early in September, in order to get them 
well established before the cold weather sets 
with winter Cucumbers, particularly during 
November and December, when least sun- Ж 
shine is generally experienced. All the sun 
and light possible must be obtained, and it 
is rarely necessary to open the ventilators 
at this season, unless the laps of the glass are airtight. 
Watering must be done very carefully, and syringing, 
unless in exceptionally mild weather, should be withheld. 
Cucumbers should not be planted thickly; if in a large 
house, & good vigorous plant will cover several yards of 
trellis, and will produce plenty of fruits throughout its 
whole length, Where-space is limited, they may be grown 
in large pots, and trained up a rafter; top-dressing the 
plants with rich soil, and supplying liquid or artificial 
manure. Excellent crops can be obtained by this method 
if the plants receive attention. 
Green Fly, Red Spider, and Thrips are the worst insect 
enemies to Cucumbers. Fumigating must be done very 
carefully to destroy the Fly, on two successive evenings. 
As soon as Red Spider or Thrips are detected, it is best to 
at once sponge the infested leaves with soapy water, and 
so prevent the insects spreading to others. The leaves 
must be handled with great care, as they are very brittle. 
Culture in Pits and Frames. In gardens where stable 
litter and leaves are plentiful, a good supply of Cucumbers 
may be kept up during the summer by this method, with- 
out fire heat. The material to form the hotbed should be 
well mixed, and occasionally turned over for 
a week or two before it is required; and, if at 
all dry, it must be wetted, to cause fermenta- 
tion. A thickness of about 3ft. will be sufficient 
for enclosed pits, adding 1ft. more for frames. In 
the latter сазе, the bed should be about 3ft. wider 
than the frames. Tread evenly, and place small 
heaps of soil at least 9in. from the glass, allowing 
— ges fatal to the plants. Give plenty 
of room when growing, thinning out and - 
ping the shoots, to induce fruitfulness ; Sted 
plenty of water when necessary. If sufficient 
heat cannot be obtained, the frames should occa- 
sionally be lined with new fermenting material. 
As this system is now almost limited to sum- 
mer cultivation, shading and plenty of air will 
be required. If Cucumbers be grown in the ` 
Cucumber-—continued. 
is mot necessary that the latter should be К 
the fruit reaching the same size, and being all the 
better for the absence of seeds, In winter time, 
or in the case of weak plants, the whole of the 
male flowers might with advantage be kept removed. 
Tubular glasses, about 30in. long, are often used to grow 
straight Cucumbers for exhibition.  Well-formed fruits 
are placed in them when young, and the glass being fixed 
by some means, the fruit is protected, and grows, in 
some cases, nearly the size of the glass. They are not 
used for ordinary purposes, as for fruit shown in Fig. 558. 
Sorts. These are extremely numerous, as far as names 
зге concerned, each year producing many so-called new or 
FiG. 558. FRUIT оғ CUCUMBER. 
improved forms, which, however, do not get into general 
cultivation. Some grow to а length of over 2ft., but they 
are often coarse and deficient in quality. The following ~ 
are amongst the best for general purposes, choosing ће: 
Fic. 559. SECTION OF SIMPLE FRAME. 
first if only one variety is grown: Rollisson's Telegraph, 
Tender and True, Sion House, Turner's Blue Gown, Munro's 
Duke of Edinburgh, and Marquis of Lorne. Some of these 
grow a good length; but they are all very tender if used 
when from 1ft. to 18in long. hun у MR 
open air, а warm south aspect should be selected 
for the purpose. Dig out holes or trenches, and 
lay the soil on the north side. Fill up the 
holes with fermenting material, prepared as for 
frames; put some soil on the top, and plant 
out in May, affording protection for a time with 
bell glasses or hand lights. The seed should be 
sown in heat to obtain these plants about the 
~Cucumbers produce male and 
female flowers. Except for seeding purposes, it 
аа, Space for 
== ра 2e 4- 
Fic. 560. SECTION OF SPAN-ROOF HOUSE m 
Bottom Heat; db bb bb, Hot-water Pipes; c c, Pipes — 
for Top Heat ; d, Path ; eee, — & 
