270 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



exhibited, and the growers, J. Canning, superintendent to 

 A. Lewisohn, and his foreman, James Campbell, deserve 

 the greatest of praise. 



The varieties were Lady Lydia, R. F. Felton and 

 \A'ells Late Pink ; by actual measurement they were 

 eleven feet six inches in diameter. 



Not only was their great size the main feature, but 

 tlie shape and finish in training was ])erfect. An exhibit 



such as this made a splendid drawing card for the show, 

 and the daily press featured it. 



To all who have grown specimen plants, and know the 

 difficulty, in getting them in shape to a show, considering 

 the fact that these plants were brought a distance of 

 about thirty miles in farm wagons, and placed in the 

 museum in the splendid shape in which they were shown, 

 1 sav. 1 lats ofif to T' >hn Canning and his able assistants. 



ExinniTi ji 



, iruAi. lllslnK^■. M-.w ^. 



GROWING ENGLISH ^ ''^^^ °^^T wondered why 



CUCUMBERS UNDER ^" "T' '''°' ' "" °'\"''"''; 

 ri A<?X '"■" common varieties of 



cucumbers which are often 

 tough and strong flavored, when with very little outlay 

 a very superior type of this luuch esteemed vegetable can 

 be produced. 



The most suitable structure for growing a crop in is 

 a low span roofed house having benches on either side. 

 There should be some kind of a wire trellis to train the 

 l^lants to. I prefer to train to wires stretched lengthways 

 of the house about (i inches from the glass and about 8 

 inches ai)art. 



.Sow the seed in 3-inch jxils filled with fibrous loam. I 

 sow two seeds in a pot, and when germination has taken 

 place I pull out the weakest plant. .\ temperature of 70 

 degrees is about proper for germination. When plants 

 are showing the first rough leaf make up the beds for 

 ])lanting out in the greenhouse. A good plan is to place 

 a layer of hotbed manure on the benches and on it at in- 

 tervals of Sy^ feet make a mound of compost composed of 

 good fibrous loam and well decayed manure, placing about 

 a bushel to a mound. 



As soon as the plant* have made two rough leaves, plant 

 on the mound, so deep as to bury the stems of the plants 

 up to the cotyledons. Place a stake to each ])lant, tying 

 it to the trellis at the nearest point. From this stage 

 everything to promote vigorous growth should be done. 

 A temperature of not less than 60 degrees at night, rising 

 to 'X) degrees in the daytime, is very suitable. Ventilate 

 whenever the glass rises to 7S degrees. Syringe or hose 

 in the afternoon and close up the house when the sun 



heat is on the decline. This will keep the house warm all 

 night in the summer. 



Keep the soil uniform with regard to moisture. Top 

 dress whenever plants show signs of hunger, with a com- 

 post similar to the compost recommended to plant in. 

 When the plants have grown half way up the trellis, pinch 

 out the leading growth and keep the laterals trained 

 evenly over the wires. Pinch at one joint beyond wher- 

 ever a fruit shows. 



.Always keep the plants well tied up, as when carrying 

 a heavy crop they sometimes break down under the weight 

 of the cucumbers. Watering with a little liquid manure 

 once a week is beneficial. During very hot weather shade 

 the glass or the leaves will scorch. Keep off male blos- 

 soms as insects will carry pollen and pollinate the female 

 blossoms, which results in the plants going to seed. Dry- 

 ness at the roots results in crooked fruits. Of insect 

 pests, the red spider is the most troublesome, but plenty 

 of moisture is the best preventive. 



Fungoid diseases sometimes make their appearance, 

 and sulphur is the best remedy. Apply to the foliage with 

 a duster. If a temjierature of 60 degrees can be main- 

 tained at night, either by closing up the house early or 

 by heating apparatus, the plants will thrive and good re- 

 turns can be expected. I have cut nearly 1,700 fruits 

 from 12 to 18 inches in length ofT thirty-eight plants, or 

 an average of about 45 per plant. 



Cultivation in frames varies little from the above meth- 

 nds with the exception of training on wires, frame grown 

 jilants being allowed to trail on soil. 



S.XMUEL Clark, 

 The Gardens, Rodman liall, St. Catharines, Ont., Can. 



