CUCUMBER 



307 



to the use of inferior seed. 

 They may be responsible 

 for low yields, a large per- 

 centage of culls and seri- 

 ous losses from the depre- 

 dations of diseases of va- 

 rious kinds. Cucumber 

 growers cannot give this 

 matter too much atten- 

 tion. 



There need be prac- 

 tically no uncertainty 

 about the ability of the 

 seed to produce, under 

 favorable conditions, a 

 large crop of the finest 

 specimens. Small plant- 

 ings should be made of 

 each lot of seeds in order 

 to determine their merits 

 before large areas are 

 planted for commercial 

 purposes. The adoption of such a policy will be cer- 

 tain to result in more uniform success from year to year. 



Some of the seedsmen catalogue special forcing strains 

 or varieties of cucumbers, and many of them are excellent. 

 Most of the largest commercial growers prefer to produce 

 and save their own seed. It is not unusual for them to 

 have small houses (Fig. 107) in which the seed crop is 

 grown. Vigorous, productive, disease-resistant plants 

 are selected, on which the fruits are as uniform as possible 

 in color, size and shape. The fruits should be thinned to 

 five or six specimens on each plant. Fig. 108 shows 

 some choice seed specimens of a Middle West grower. 

 One hundred cucumbers of Abundance produced two 

 pounds of seed. The fruits should be allowed to become 

 thoroughly ripe before they are picked for seed. The 



Fig. 104. White Spine cucumber. The 

 left specimen is of much better form at 

 stem end. 



