STARTING THE PLANTS. 187 
at one time. If the fruits are picked as soon as they 
arrive at edible size, the crop will be the larger. 
The plants are started in flats, upon small squares of in- 
verted sods, or in pots. I prefer the pots. We use 3-inch 
rose-pots, filling them only a third full of earth. When 
the plant has formed a pair of true leaves and stands well 
above the brim, the pot is filled with earth. This affords 
additional root space and renders transplanting unneces- 
sary. When the pots are well filled with roots, the plants 
are transferred directly to the beds. Now comes one of 
the most critical times in cucumber forcing. The young 
plants are very liable to the attacks of aphis and fungi, 
and any failure in the bottom heat will seriously affect 
them. There are very few vegetables which require 
such careful attention until they become established. 
The aphis—which is mentioned later on—must be kept 
off, or the plant will be ruined, even in a few. days. A 
stunted cucumber plant will make a_= short, bunchy 
growth at the top, and the leaves will be small and yel- 
lowish ; it may remain almost stationary for some weeks. 
Even if it finally resumes vigorous growth, it rarely be- 
comes a profitable plant. Some plants become stunted 
without apparent cause. A prolific source of poor plants 
is the growing of the seedlings in fall before the fires 
are started, for if the young plants become cold at night 
they will almost surely be ruined. To insure a good 
stand, I advise starting three or four times as many 
plants as are needed. The most vigorous ones are set 
out a foot or foot and a half apart upon the benches. 
As soon as the plants are established, the weaker ones 
are destroyed, leaving the remaining individuals from 
2% to 3 feet apart. A gcod plant will grow vigorously 
from the start, and sometimes the lower leaves will fall 
off, giving it a scraggly and diseased appearance; but 
so long as the growing portions are vigorous and the 
leaves are not attacked by mildew, the plant is in good 
condition. 
