THE VEGETABLE GAKDEN 263 



Storage. Provide a box with sides about a foot high 

 for storing celery for winter use. Place two inches of 

 sand in the bottom and wet it thoroughly. Leave on 

 most of the roots and pack the bunches close together. 

 The leaves should be dry when the celery is put into 

 the box. Keep the sand moist by pouring water through 

 holes in the sides of the box. No water should touch 

 the leaves at any time. 



Diseases. For leaf spot and leaf blight, spray with 

 Bordeaux mixture when the plants are young. 



Pests. For insects that eat the leaves, use hellebore ; 

 for aphis and thrips, use kerosene emulsion or tobacco 

 water. Pick celery borers by hand. 



THE CUCUMBER 



Varieties. The small varieties of cucumber are used 

 for pickling. They are very productive and as a rule 

 need less time for growth than the larger ones. The 

 larger varieties are usually preferred for slicing. Special 

 varieties, known as English cucumbers, are used for 

 growing in hotbeds or forcing houses for winter use. 



Soil. Cucumbers need a warm, moist, rich, loamy soil ; 

 sod land turned over in the fall is excellent. Thoroughly 

 mix with the soil in each hill a shovelful of well-rotted 

 manure. A handful of commercial fertilizer may also be 

 added. Make the hill two feet in diameter. Spade to a 

 depth of six or eight inches. If the soil is heavy add a 

 shovelful or two of fibrous loam. 



