November 26, 1874. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



4G3 



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WINTEB CUCUMBERS. 



S a qnaKfication for writing on this subject, 

 allow me to say that since April, 18G9, with 

 one exception of a month's duration caused 

 by the failure of the heating apparatus, I 

 have always been able to cut at least six 

 Cucumbers a- week. "Well, then," someone 

 will say, " you can tell us how to cure the 

 Cucumber disease." I am son-y to say I can 

 do nothing of the kind. I have never seen it, 

 and I hope I never shall. It was supposed 

 to be here when I came, and there were some plants that 

 looked very sickly, but they could not have had the dis- 

 ease our lamented friend Mr. Fish was so familiar with, 

 or I should not have got rid of it so easily. 



The cause of many people faihng to grow Cucumbers 

 and other plants satisfactorily in winter is their strong 

 prejudice against moderate temperatures. Fire heat 

 should only be looked on as a necessary evil. Of the 

 two evils choose the least, and fire heat is just a trifle 

 better than extreme cold. The question then is. What 

 is the lowest temperatm-e in which the Cucumber will 

 exist without injury? The answer I can give is near 

 enough for all practical purposes. 55° is the average 

 minimum temperature aimed at here ; during mild nights 

 it is sometimes higher, and in very cold nights it is 

 lower — 50°, or even 48° a chance time for an hour or two 

 in the morning. I consider it much safer to allow the 

 temperature to fall thus low for a time than to have the 

 atmosphere as it were burned up. No amount of damp- 

 ing-down can make the air feel genial if there be 50° or 

 60° of fire heat in addition to the natural temperature, 

 and if the air feel harsh to human beings, plants will not 

 flourish in it, though red spider will. The wonder to me 

 is, not that those who maintain a night temperature of 

 65° or 70° should occasionally break down after a few 

 weeks' severe weather, but that they ever get through it 

 at all. 



A forcing house of any description should always have 

 sufficient piping in it to raise the temperature to the 

 required heat during the most severe weather without 

 driving the fire very hard or making the pipes very hot. 

 For winter Cucumbers a couple or three small pipes 

 under the bed, and covered with rubble, are a great help ; 

 the rubble and the soil above it in which the plants are 

 grown do not part with the warmth so quickly on a 

 sudden change of temperature as the rest of the house. 

 Even if by accident the upper portion of the plant is in 

 a much lower temperature for a short time than the one 

 aimed at, provided the roots are comfortable and the top 

 is not actually frozen, no great harm will follow. 



I have stated the average minimum temperature — viz., 

 55° ; the average maximum one is not so easy to give. 

 During bright days after frosty nights the range of tem- 

 perature should not be too great, and it is sometimes 

 extremely difficult to regulate it. Fires, of course, should 

 be stopped as soon as it is safe to stop them. Air should 

 be admitted a little at a time as soon as the temperature 

 No, 713.-VOL. XXVn., New Sebies. 



begins to rise, or, if possible, the rising should be antici- 

 pated, but never altogether prevented or suddenly checked ; 

 and remember the plants are more sensitive than the 

 thermometer. The air should be given all on one side 

 or all at the top, never in two opposite places at once 

 so as to cause a draught through when there is a great 

 difference between internal and external temperatures. 

 When the sun has been shining an hour or two on the 

 plants they will bear a higher temperature, and generally 

 towards the middle of the day m midwinter the house 

 may be closed altogether. During mild weather at any 

 time of the year I have a httle air on all night ; and the 

 temperature during continued mild bright weather is 

 allowed to range as high as 95° or 100° in the middle of 

 the day. 



As to soil, the simpler the better for Cucumbers as well 

 as everything else. I have it mechanically right, and 

 never trouble about the richness of it nor yet the che- 

 mistry. Cucumbers hke soil that is hght, loose, and 

 sweet. Merely the fibry roots of grass with all the fine 

 soil knocked out of it is what I use ; it is broken up in 

 large pieces, and not pressed together in the least. A 

 little finer soil is placed round the roots of the plants 

 when first turned out of their pots. Only a Httle soil is 

 used at once, and then as soon as the roots come through 

 they are just covered with another thin layer, and this 

 is repeated as long as the plants are kept. Sowings are 

 continually being made in order always to have young 

 plants in stock in case of an accident ; but the regular 

 sowing for winter is made in the first week in August. 

 Seeds are placed singly in small pots, and are never 

 allowed to receive a check. If the house is not ready to 

 receive the plants as soon as they commence to make the 

 first rough leaf, they are shifted mto larger pots, and kept 

 in vigorous growth tiU such time as they can be placed 

 in their permanent quarters. 



As to sorts, there are so many good ones to choose 

 from, and every grower that is successful thinks he has 

 the best in the world, that it is not necessary to say much 

 on this pomt. I will merely say, Beware of large-grow- 

 ing kinds, none of them that I am acquainted with is 

 fit to eat, and few of them bear well. It is immaterial 

 whether a variety has a black spine, white spine, or no 

 spine at all, so long as the flavour is good and a large 

 proportion of the fruit is eatable. 



The less the plants are mutilated by pinching and 

 cutting the better. One good plant kept growmg freely 

 will produce more good Cucumbers than half a dozen 

 stunted ones. Therefore, if the plants get too crowded 

 cut every alternate one gradually away altogether, and 

 encourage the remaining ones to extend. Never stop a 

 shoot if there is space to train it. If there is a want of 

 vigour at any time apply manure water weak and warm ; 

 thin the fruits as soon as they can bs handled ; and keep 

 the male flowers picked clean off. _ 



Red spider seldom makes its appearance while the 

 plants are vigorous, but it is always necessary to keep a 

 sharp lookout for it, for if it is once allowed to gain a 

 footing it is very difficult to get rid of it. A quick eye 



No. U65,— TOL. LII., Old Skbihs. 



