CHAPTER 2 
CUCUMBER. 
THE cucumber contests with the tomato the merit of 
being the most popular of the ‘‘warm’”’ plants for forc- 
ing. In America the extensive forcing of cucumbers for 
market is of recent origin. In England, on the other 
hand, the species has long been forced, and as a conse- 
quence there has developed in that country a_ peculiar 
type of fruit, which is even yet not popularly known 
in the United States. The Americans desire the short 
cucumbers with which they are familiar in the open 
garden. So it happens that there are two branches or 
types of the species to which we need to address our 
attention. 
THE ENGLISH FORCING TYPE OF CUCUMBER. 
The English forcing varieties represent the most im- 
proved type of the cucumber, and many of them are so 
distinct in appearance from our common kinds that vis- 
itors to our houses often fail to recognize them as cu- 
cumbers. They deserve to become better known in this 
country. It is undoubtedly true that the market demand 
is more or less confined to particular cities, but it is in- 
creasing for these, as for all the better winter products 
of forcing-houses. The smaller and cheaper varieties 
are better adapted to the general market, but the care- 
ful grower, who has access to the larger markets, by 
rail or otherwise, should be able to control a select and 
very profitable trade in the English sorts, particularly 
(184) 
