CUCURBITA 



258 



CUMMINGIA 



manure has to be carefully prepared by turning it over 

 several times, and a good covering of leaf-soil and loam 

 put on the surface before planting, and this should be done 

 a few days before putting the plants in. For growing in 

 glass-houses the old system of water-tanks has been 

 almost entirely abolished. The hot-water pipes being 

 arranged so that they can be covered with stable manure, 

 and on this some good fresh turfy loam is used, and 

 some lime should be added. Later a surface-dressing may 

 be given, which may include some of the various artificial 

 manures, or bone meal. 



Propagation. We have grown from cuttings which for 

 early fruiting come in sooner than those raised from 

 seeds. The cuttings from clean, healthy side-shoots 

 root freely in the close propagating pit if there is a good 

 bottom-heat ; yet in the ordinary way seedlings are the 

 most satisfactory ; the seeds should be sown singly in 

 small pots, using light sandy loam and leaf-mould. Cover 

 the seeds well, but do not press the surface soil. When 

 re-potting or planting bring the seed leaves down close 

 to the surface. It may be necessary to twist the stems 

 round to do so, except when planting in the beds early, 

 in which case they can be laid down. Cucumbers root 

 from all parts of their stems, so it is quite safe to bury 

 them up to close below the seed leaves. Care should be 

 taken that the soil used for potting or planting in is 

 warm and not over moist. 



Seeding. Being male and female flowers on the same 

 plants in a close position, it is necessary to fertilise by 

 taking the pollen from the staminate flowers and apply- 

 ing it to the pistillate flowers. In years gone by this 

 used to be done in the ordinary culture ; but modern 

 growers never take the trouble, except where seed is 

 required, an indication that proper fertilisation is given 

 by the terminal end of the fruit swelling. The Cucumber 

 is generally included with vegetables, but is quite as 

 equally entitled to be termed a fruit as a Melon has. 



Standard of Merit. Length, not less than twelve inches. 

 Diameter, one-ninth of the length. Colour, dark green. 

 Spines, black and numerous. Bloom, unremoved. Cir- 

 cumference, circular and equal throughout. Neck and 

 Nose, each not more than a diameter long. Flesh, crisp 

 and juicy. Flower, remaining on the fruit. 



Open Ground Crops. The sowing for these crops must 

 be performed at the close of May, or early in June. A 

 rich, south-west border, beneath a reed or other fence, is 

 peculiarly favourable, as they then enjoy a genial warmth 

 without suffering from the meridian sun. The border 

 being dug regularly over, and saucer-like hollows, about 

 fifteen inches in diameter and one or two deep, formed 

 five feet apart, the seed may be sown six or eight in each. 



Seed may also be sown beneath a hedge of similar 

 aspect, and the plants either trained to it or to bushy 

 branches placed perpendicularly. If the weather be dry, 

 it is requisite to water the patches moderately two or 

 three days after sowing. In four or five days, if the 

 season be genial, the plants will make their appearance, 

 and until they have attained their rough leaves, should 

 be guarded from the small birds, who will often destroy 

 the whole crop by devouring the seminal leaves. 



If the season be cold and unfavourable, plants may be 

 raised in pots, under a frame or hand-glasses, as directed 

 for those crops ; to be thence transplanted, when of 

 about a month's growth, or when the third rough leaf 

 appears, into the open ground, shelter being afforded 

 them during the night. Water must be given every two 

 or three days, in proportion to the dryness of the season, 

 applying it during the afternoon or early in the morning. 



Only three or four plants may be allowed to grow 

 together in a patch, and these pressed far apart. The 

 training must be as carefully attended to as for the 

 other crops ; but stopping is seldom necessary, as the 

 plants are rarely super-luxuriant. They will come into 

 production in August and September. 



For Melon-culture, see MELON. 



CUCU'RBITA. Gourd. ( From curbita, a gourd. Nat. 

 ord. Cucurbits [Cucurbitaceae]. Linn. 2i-Moncecia, 10- 

 Monadelphia.) 



Half-hardy trailing annuals, requiring the same culture 

 as the Cucumber. 

 C. andrea'na (Andrean). Fruit marked with white and 



yellow. Uruguay. 1896. 



aura'ntia (orange-fruited). See C. PEPO AURANTIA. 

 orangi'na (false orange). See C. PEPO ORANGINA. 



C. ficifo'lia (fig-leaved). Trop. Asia. 

 ,, ma'xima (largest). 4. Yellow. July, Tropics, 



cultivated. " Common Gourd." 

 ,, ,, Courge'ro (Cpurgero). 10. Yellow. July. 

 ., Poti'ra (Potirpn). 10. Yellow. July. 

 ., ,, sylve'stris (wild). The supposed origin of the 



large Gourds. Himalaya. 1893. 

 vi'ridis (green). 10. Yellow. July. " Large 



Green Gourd." 



,, melanospe'rma (black-seeded). See C. FICIFOLIA. 

 ,, melomzfo'rmis (melon-shaped). Japan. 1880. 

 Melope'po (melon-pumpkin. Squash). See C. PEPO 



MELOPEPO. 

 , mexica'na (Mexican). Similar to C. ficifolia, but 



leaves different. Mexico. 1889. 



,, moscha'ta (musky). 4. Yellow. July. Trop. Asia. 

 ,, ovi'fera (egg-shaped). See C. PEPO and varieties. 

 ,, palma'tus (hand-shaped). Yellow. California. 

 ,, Pe'po (pumpkin). 16. Yellow. July. Levant. 1570. 

 ,, ,, aura'ntia (orange). 3. Yellow. July. 1802. 

 ,, gri'sea (grey). 3. Yellow. July. 

 ,, ,, Melope'po (Melon-pumpkin). 3. Yellow. June. 



1597. 



,, ,.. oblo'nga (oblong-fruited). 6. Yellow. July. 1570. 

 ,, ,, orangi'na (false-orange). 3. Yellow. July. 1802. 



" Orangine." 

 ,, ovi'fera (egg-bearing). 3. Yellow. August. 



Astrachan. 



-. pynfo'rmis (pear-shaped). 3. Yellow. July. 

 ., subglobo'sa (sub-globular). 3. Yellow. July. 

 , ,, subrotu'nda (nearly-round-/nfed). 6. Yellow. 



July. Levant. 1750. 

 ,, verruco'sa (warted). 12. Yellow. June. 1658. 



" Warted Gourd." 



Rapalli'to(RaLpzllito). See C. MAXIMA. 

 ,, verruco'sa (warty). See C. PEPO VERRUCOSA. 



CUDRA'NIA. (From kudros, glorious. Nat. ord. 

 Urticaceae.) 



Hardy or nearly hardy evergreen tree. Cuttings in 

 sand under a bell-glass. Loam, peat, and sand. 

 C. javane'nsis (Javan). Australia. 1830. 



CULCA'SIA. (Derivation same as Colocasia. Nat. 

 ord. Arads [Araceas], Linn. zi-Moncecia, j-Heptandria. 

 Allied to Caladium.) 



Stove climber. For culture, see COLOCA'SIA. 

 C. sca'ndens (climbing). White. Guinea. 1822. 

 ,, striola'ta (striolated). White. Cameroons. 1899. 

 Not climbing. 



CULEN. Psora' lea glandulo'sa. 



CULLUMBINE or COLUMBINE. See AQUILEGIA. 



CULLU'MIA. (In compliment to Sir T. C. Cullum, 

 who wrote about British plants in 1774. Nat. ord. 

 Composite.) 



Greenhouse evergreen of easy culture. Seeds and 

 cuttings, under a bell-glass in the greenhouse in summer. 

 Loam, leaf-mould, and sand. 



C. pectina'ta (comb-like leaved). 2. Yellow. August. 

 S. Africa. 1818. 



CUMIN or CUMMIN. See CUMINUM CYMINUM. 



CUMTNUM CYMTNUM. Common Cumin, an annual, 

 native of Egypt, bearing white flowers, and belonging 

 to the Nat. ord. Umbellifers. It is cultivated for its 

 aromatic seeds. Sow in a warm situation in March, in 

 a rich, light soil ; the plants flower in June, and ripen 

 their seeds in the autumn. 



CUMMTNGIA. (Named after the late Lady Gordon 

 Gumming, of Altyre, in Morayshire. Nat. ord. Lilyworts. 

 [Liliaceaa]. Linn. 6-Hexandria, i-Monogynia. Now re- 

 ferred to Conanthera.) 



Beautiful little half-hardy bulbs from Chili, which 

 succeed best in a light, rich border in front of a greenhouse, 

 with Ixias, Brodiaeas, Zephyranthes, Anomathecas, and 

 the like. Offsets ; loam and leaf-mould and manure. 

 C. campanula 'ta (bell- flowered). See CONANTHERA 



SIMSII. 



,, tene'lla (delicate). See CONANTHERA SIMSII. 

 ,, trimacula'ta (three-spotted), f. Blue. December. 

 1829. 



