CUCUMBER 325 



do as little pruning as possible, and that of a haphazard 

 nature. The English growers have exercised great care 

 in this operation and, in recent years, American growers 

 have more fully realized the advantages of systematic 

 training and pruning. The agricultural experiment sta- 

 tions as well as many commercial growers have demon- 

 strated the value of following a fairly well-defined plan. 

 Unless the vine growth is limited by pruning, there is 

 certain to be a large percentage of culls, and unless the 

 plants are properly trimmed, there will be too much shad- 

 ing and too little circulation of air. 



The labor item in keeping the plants well pruned is 

 considerable, but if a promising market is expected, the 

 expense of such labor is more than justifiable. Whatever 

 the pfan, the work should always be done with care and 

 promptness. When the season is well advanced and the 

 vines are becoming exhausted, and prices are materially 

 lower, due to the outdoor crop, perhaps, too much time 

 should not be spent in pruning. A leader here and there 

 may be removed without much expenditure of time, and 

 the results may be highly beneficial. 



Four fairly distinct systems of training are used by 

 American growers, namely, the fan or English system, 

 the arbor system, the A form and the upright. 



The fan system does not have many advocates in this 

 country. It consists in growing a single stem to the 

 height of about 18 inches, when the top is nipped, which 

 induces the formation of a number of lateral branches, 

 four or five of the strongest being selected to train over 

 a wire trellis. In England the trellis generally runs 

 parallel to the roof of the house, and if the house is nar- 

 row, it will extend to the ridge. The branches run out 

 fan-shaped from the main stem and then they proceed 

 to the top of the trellis, where they are nipped. The 

 laterals of these leaders are cut back more or less and the 

 cucumbers hang below the trellis. A certain amount of 



