110 



THE BOOK OF VEGETABLES 



Cucumber seeds are started under glass; as the young 

 vines transplant with difficulty, pots or inverted sods 

 are advisable. A continuous picking is usually possible 

 once the fruits have set; in fact, if a fruit is allowed 

 to ripen, the yield of the plant is at once lessened, 

 but early solitary fruits should be picked, to aid a 

 more profuse crop. If the plant runs to vine, pinch- 



Fig. 56. Seeding of Cucumber. Two-thirds natural size. 



ing off the end will often help fruiting. Varieties 

 classify (Cyclopedia of American Horticulture): (1) 

 English Forcing Cucumbers (seldom grown in Amer- 

 ica except for private use.) (2) Field Varieties. (a) 

 Black Spine type, (b) White Spine type. Other Cucum- 

 bers are the Sikkim, the Snake or Serpent, and the 

 West India Gherkin. (Ordinary Cucumbers picked 

 when small are often called gherkins.) Cucumber 

 culture is invariably in hills. Pests are numerous and 

 very troublesome. 



