164 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



off in rows 6 feet apart, and the hills from 4 to 6 feet 

 apart in the row. Two weeks before the field is to be 

 planted, the rows and checks are laid off, and the amount 

 of fertilizer desired is dropped and worked in the hills. 

 If commercial or other concentrated fertilizer is to be used, 

 it must be worked in thoroughly. The crop rarely suffers 

 from over-fertilizing in the field, but frequently is ruined 

 by improper fertilization. 



Two weeks after fertilizing a field, it is usually safe to 

 plant the seed or set out plants. If the seed is planted, 

 about half a dozen should be dropped in a hill. When the 

 plants begin to run, the hill should be reduced to two to 

 four plants. Some of the missing hills may be supplied 

 by lifting a part of a full hill on a hoe and setting it 

 in place. If plants are set out, the pots are removed and 

 the ball of earth set an inch below the surf ace of the ground. 



Fertilizer for cucumbers. 



The first application of fertilizer should be made about 

 two weeks before the seed is sown or plants set out. Five 

 hundred pounds of the following formula may be used on 

 ordinary sandy loam : ammonia, 6 per cent ; available 

 phosphoric acid, 4 per cent ; potash, 5 per cent. 



It will be found advisable to employ a chemical in which 

 the nitrogen is quickly available to supply one half of the 

 ammonia. The following combination is largely used by 

 the commercial cucumber-growers in Florida : 



100 pounds nitrate of soda, 

 100 pounds dried blood, 17 per cent ammonia, 

 150 pounds acid phosphate, 14 per cent available, 

 50 pounds muriate of potash. 



