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HORTICULTURE 



March 30, 1907 



Forcing Cucumbers 



The cultivation of cucumbers under glass has in- 

 creased to quite an extent during the past decade. It 

 was formerly confined very largely to the East, but of 

 recent years' has developed largely in other sections. 

 Even in the older sections noted for market gardening 

 under glass t);e increase in the number of houses during 

 the last five years is quite nwrked. 



Many gardeners confine themselves to growing cucum- 

 bers, but in the large lettuce houses in the vicinity of 

 Boston cucumbers constitute only a spring crop, three 

 crops of Lettuce being grown first. Those who have 

 made a .'specialty of growing cucumbers under glass 

 have as a rule been successfuf financially, and many of 

 them have been able to increase their greenhouse area 

 to quite an extent. There are many more forced cucum- 

 bers used at the present time than formerly, therefore, 

 the increase in their prodixction has not seriously 

 affected the price. 



In general cucumber growers have not developed that 

 degree of skill in handling their crops that lettuce grow- 

 ers and various types of florists have. Cucumber grow- 

 ers are more isolated, pay little or no attention to co- 

 operation, and do not have to contend with much com- 

 petition. Moreover, most of the men who have gone 

 into cucumber growing have had little or no experience 

 in market gardening or floriculture. Florists and other 

 types of greenhouse men meet with more competition; 

 therefore they are better organized, and co-operate to a 

 certain extent. It is of the greatest value to anyone 

 growing outdoor crops to have had experience in ii green- 

 house, inasmuch as those who have had such experience 

 are much better qualified to carry on intensive agricul- 

 ture out-of-doors. On the other hand, it ie a decided 

 drawback to success for a gardener to have had experi- 

 ence in growing only one kind of produce. This is a 

 failing common to many cucumber growers. Some ex- 

 perience in general greenhouse work would naturally 

 help in growing any special crop. 



Every florist who is entitled to the name knows that 

 it is impossible to grow good produce under glass with- 

 out paying due regard to weather conditions, but 

 cucumber growers as a whole ignore these conditions and 

 attempt to" grow their crops without the slightest regard 

 as to whether cloudiness or sunshine prevails. _ They 

 maintain the same temperatures during a series of 

 cloudy days as during bright, sunshiny ones, a practice 

 which would immediately prove fatal to other crops. 

 By completely ignoring these simple, fundamental rules 

 the plants often become subject to the most peculiar 

 functional disorders, and it is not surprising that sapro- 

 phytic and parasitic organisms often obtain a foothold. 

 Many of these troubles are wholly unnecessary, and if 

 proper attention were given to the limitations of the 

 plant and its requirements they would be unheard of. 

 The ions' period of cloudy weather which has prevailed 

 during the past few months- has served to test the skill 

 of cucumber growers, and some of the peculiar disorders 

 which have been common would not have been present 

 if proper conditions had been maintained in the house. 



TYPES OF GREENHOUSES BEST STTITED TO GREENHOUSE 

 CUCUMBER CULTURE 



Most cucumber houses are narrow compared with let- 

 tuce houses, and are generally 18 to 25 feet in width 

 and 100 to 200 feet long. Such houses are usually pro- 

 vided with benches containing soil to a depth of about 

 one foot. In a house of this description four or more 

 rows of cucumbers are planted lengthwise of the house, 



but it is a question whether the yield of the middle rows, 

 which are more or less shaded, is sufficient to pay for 

 'planting them, especially when the outer rows are 

 trained liigh and shade the inner ones. Cucumbers are 

 also occasionally grown in the regular 2-3 span lettuce 

 house, which is usually about 40 feet wide. In such 

 houses the plants' are grown in solid beds and are trained 

 to either vertical or slanting trellises. A house 40 feet 

 wide is the best for general purposes, and the writer 

 considers it better than the narrow style of house for 

 cucumbers. 



From a large amount of data which the writer has 

 obtained relative to the cost of various types of green- 

 hou,ses per linear foot, it would appear that a house 40 

 feet wide and 300 feet long can be constructed propor- 

 tionately cheaper than one 18 feet wide and 100 feet 

 long. Moreover, a large house is easier to run, since it 

 has more air space, and is less subject to abrupt changes 

 in temperature, etc. 



Since cucumbers require a great deal of light — much 

 more, in fact, than they are able to secure during the 

 winter months for their best development — it is essen- 

 tial that a greenhouse be constructed with the least pos- 

 sible amount of material which obstructs light. The 

 older type of house was built entirely of small glass, and 

 many cucumber houses at the present day are of this 

 nature; consequently they are not as weU lighted as they 

 should be. The present tendency in greenhouse con- 

 struction is toward larger glass and frames built to ob- 

 struct less light, and some of the best market-garden 

 houses are now provided with glass 20 x 30 inches. 

 Glass 24 x 24 inches is occasionally used, but with this 

 larger glass it is necessary to have the frames more 

 stiffly purlined. In such houses there is even less break- 

 age than in a house poorly supported and built of the 

 ordinary sized glass. Some commercial growers put 

 the sash-bar 24 inches apart, and use 16 x 24 glass, run- 

 ning it lengthwise of the house, since there are fewer 

 sash-bars employed in running it lengthwise. This 

 affords much better light, which during the short winter 

 months is a great advantage in cucumber growing. 



TYI'ES OF CUCUMBERS GROWN 



There are generally two varieties of cucumbers used 

 in forcing ; the White Spine, a standard variety ; and 

 what is known as the Hybrid, a cross between the 

 English Telegraph and the Wiite Spine. This hybrid 

 type is more like the White Spine than the Telegraph, 

 and is a slightly longer, darker' colored and less spiny 

 cucumber than the typical White Spine. Its dark green 

 color makes it suitable for some markets. Otlier va- 

 rieties are sometimes used, such as the Giant Pera, and 

 occasionally Eussian and Japanese varieties, but these 

 have a limited commercial value. 



SOILS AND FERTILIZERS 



The best soil for cucumbers is one of a light nature, 

 which may be obtained by mixing one-third horse ma- 

 nure, one-third decomposed loam and one-third sod. 

 This soil may be used repeatedly by the addition of horse 

 inanure and it is not necessary to apply anything in the 

 line of commercial fertilizers, although some growers 

 use 'U'ood ashes, bone meal and occasionally nitrate of 

 soda. The amateur grower, however, should be cautious 

 in his use of commercial fertilizers in greenhouse work 

 of any sort, since more trouble than benefit usually re- 

 sults from their use; in fact, a large percentage of the 

 troubles to which greenhouse cucumbers are subject may 

 be traced directly to the injudicious use of- fertilizers and 

 manures, and serious troiibles have been caused by the 



