CUCKOO 



257 



CUCUMIS 



CUCKOO FLOWER. Cardami'ne prate'nsis and 

 Ly'chnis Flo's-cu'culi. 



CUCKOO-SPIT. See TETTIGONIA SPUMARIA. 

 CUCU BALUS. (Derived from kakos, bad, and bolus, 

 snout. Nat. ord. CARYOPHYLLACE.*.) 

 C. ba'ccifer (berry-bearing). White. Europe. N. Asia. 

 catho'licus (catholic). See SILENE CATHOLICA.^ 

 chlorcefo'lius (green-leaved). See SILENE PERFOLIATA. 

 steUa'tus (starry). See SILENE STELLATA. 



CUCU LLIA VERBA'SCL Mullein Moth. This is the 

 parent of a greenish- white or slaty-coloured caterpillar, 

 found from the end of May until August, feeding on the 

 various species of mullein (Vfrba'scum) and figwort 

 (Scrophula'ria). On each segment of this caterpillar 

 are four large black dots, sometimes separate, and 

 sometimes running together ; there are smaller black 

 dots along the sides, and a double row of yellow spots 

 on the back, with others on the sides. The head is 

 yellow, spotted with black. This moth appears com- 

 monly in May. It is about two inches across the ex- 

 panded forewings, which are of a dark reddish-brown 

 colour, clouded and lined with black, and with a large 

 white spot on each resembling the figure 3, as shown in 

 the annexed drawing. The hind-wings are also reddish- 

 brown, but paler, and sometimes almost white. The 

 female lays her eggs upon the mulleins, and their relative 

 species of plants, which eggs are hatched in a few days 

 if the weather be warm. The caterpillars, when of full 

 growth, descend into the ground at the roots of the plants 

 on which they have been feeding, where they form 

 cocoons in half-rotted leaves and earth, so firmly bound 

 together as to resemble small, hard clods. They remain 

 in the pupa state until the following May, or even for 

 two years. 



CUCUMBER. See CUCUMIS SATIVUS. 



CUCUMBER-TREE. Magno'lia acumina'ta and M. 

 Frase'rii. 



CUCUMBER DISEASE. The Cucumber is very 

 liable to have its roots attacked by microscopic creatures 

 known as eelworms, from their shape. They penetrate 

 the roots and cause tubercles to form upon them, vary- 

 ing in size till as large as nuts. Here the eelworms 

 live, multiply, and spread from root to root till the 

 Cucumber plant shows signs of weakness and disease. 

 There is no remedy for the plants, which should be dug 

 up and burned. The soil of the bed should be taken 

 out, conveyed to some distance from the house. The 

 latter should be thoroughly cleaned inside, as well as 

 the bed, with paraffin and water. Soil from a fresh 

 source should be obtained and a fresh bed made up 

 before again planting Cucumbers. 



The Cucumber is also liable to various other maladies 

 or diseases, including Canker, Mildew, and Sclerotium 

 Disease. 



Cucumber and Melon Mildew is caused by Perono- 

 spora cubensis, which forms a white mould on the under- 

 surface of the leaves, and would ultimately destroy the 

 plants if allowed to spread without check. The under 

 surface of the leaves should be well sprayed with dilute 

 Bordeaux mixture, so as to wet them thoroughly, and 

 embrace the whole of the patches of mildew. 



Sclerotium Disease attacks many plants belonging to 

 different orders, including the Cucumber. The disease 

 is caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, which attacks the 

 stem, forming a white mould just above the ground-line. 

 It also penetrates the stem, gradually extending upwards, 

 till the stems become dry and brittle. The latter are 

 then found to contain numerous black sclerotia, of varying 

 size in the pith, surrounded by mycelium or thread-like 

 portion of the fungus. These stems should be taken 

 away and burned in the early stages of the disease 

 before the sclerotia are produced, because the latter lie 

 in the ground till spring, and after passing through more 

 than one stage of its life-cycle, again attack the plants, 

 with which the mycelium comes in contact. In order to 

 destroy the mycelium growing upon decaying vegetable 

 matter, the soil should be well sprinkled with soot or 

 quicklime. This will kill the mycelium of the fungus 

 before it attacks the young stems of the Cucumber. 

 Manure on the surface of Cucumber beds greatly favours 

 the spread of the fungus. 



Insects. See APHIS, INSECT PESTS, and RED SPIDER. 



CU'CUMIS. Cucumber. (From cucumis, the Latin 

 for cucumber. Nat. ord. Cucurbits [Cucurbitaceae]. 

 Linn. 2i-Monacia. io-Monadelphia.) 



Half-hardy trailing annuals. The whole of the species 

 require to be sown in hotbeds, and, when of sufficient 

 strength, to be planted out either in frames or under 

 hand-glasses. 



C. acuta'ngulus (acute-angled). See LUFFA ACUTANGULA. 

 africa'nus (African). Yellow. S. Africa. 

 angui'nus (serpentine). See TRICHOSANTHES AN- 



GUINA. 



Angu'ria (round-prickly). 2. Yellow. July. Ja- 

 maica. 1692. 

 cantalupe'nsis (Cantaloupe). See C. MELO CANTA- 



LUPO. 



Chi' to (Onto). A variety of C. MELO. 

 Citru'Uus (Citrul). See CITRULLUS VULGARIS. 

 n fa'ce (water-melon). See CITRULLUS VULGARIS. 

 ,, Paste'ca (Pasteque cucumber). See CITRULLUS 



VULGARIS. 



Colocy'nthis (bitter colocynth). See CITRULLUS 



COLOCYNTHIS. 



.. delicio'sus (delicious). See C. MELO. 



Hooke'ri (Hooker's). Yellow. Fruit brown-purple, 



banded white. Trop. Africa. 1870. 

 ,, jamaice'nsis (Jamaica). See C. MELO. 

 maderaspata'nus (Madras). See C. MELO. 

 Me'lo (melon). 4. Yellow. July. Tropics of Old 



World. 1570. " Melon." 



,, Cantalu'po (Cantalupe). 4. Yellow. July. 1570. 

 ,, Dudaim (Dudaim). " Queen Anne's Melon." 

 melite'nsis (Maltese). 4. Yellow. July. 1570. 

 ,, ,, reticula' tus (netted). 4. Yellow. July. 1570. 

 metuli'ferus (horn-bearing). . Yellow. Trop. Africa. 



" Horned Cucumber." 



momo'rdica (Elaterium-like). See C. MELO. 

 moscha'tus (musk). See C. MELO. 

 murica'tus (point-covered). See C. SATIVUS. 

 pi'ctus (painted). See C. MELO. 

 ,, Propheta'rum (prophets'). Trop. Africa. 

 ,, Sacleu'xii (Sacleux's). Fruit used for pickling. 



Zanzibar. 1890. 

 sati'vus (cultivated). 4. Yellow. August. E. Ind. 



1597. " Cucumber." 

 ,, a'lbus (white). 4. Yellow. July. 

 ,, fastigia' tus (peaked). 4. Yellow. July. 

 ,, fta'vus (yellow). 4. Yellow. July. 

 sikkimc'nsis (Sikkim). Fruit chocolate, netted 



yellow. Sikkim. 



,, variega'tus (variegated). 4. Yellow. July. 

 vi'ridis (green). 4. Yellow. July. E. Ind. 



1597. 



trigo'nus (three-angled). Yellow. Old World Tro- 

 pics. 



,, utili'ssimus (most useful). See C. MELO. 

 Vilmori'ni (Vilmorin's). Fruit canary yellow, spiny. 



1894. 



Garden Varieties. In recent years varieties have be- 

 come too numerous to individualise, but there are some 

 distinct types, of these Rollisson's " Telegraph " has 

 taken the lead for many years ; there are many improved 

 selections under different names. Sutton's " Improved " 

 is one of the best. Sutton's " Delicacy " is a fine variety, 

 Rochford's " Market " is another good type, and is very 

 prolific; there are several selections from this. There 

 are a few of the old-established names retained, but most 

 modem seedsmen have their own names. Those which 

 have gained certificates are Sutton's Ar, Matchless, 

 Every Day, and Peerless. 



Since those grown under glass have been so plentiful, 

 very few try to grow them in the open, except the small 

 Gherkin varieties for pickling; these are cut when 

 quite small. The " Ridge " cucumbers are almost a 

 thing of the past. Yet we remember when they were 

 extensively grown, and think the flavour compared with 

 those grown under glass was much better. 



In the old editions of this work there were lengthy 

 instructions on the culture of Cucumbers, but we do not 

 consider it necessary to repeat them, except to give a 

 few short details ; and have struck out much of the 

 matter previously included. 



Taking Culture. Cucumbers are now generally grown 

 in glass-houses, but in some gardens frames are used. 

 And on a moderate hot-bed they do very well. The 



R 



