62 



SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE 



October 



Greenhouse Cucumber Breeding 



By W. J. STRONG 

 Horticultural Experiment Station, 

 Vinelaud, Ontario. 



(Paper read at Convention of Northern Great Plains Horticultural Assfx-ia- 

 tion, recently held at Ottawa). 



G(»mpared with other horticultural crops 

 the greenh()U.se cucumber occupies a ra- 

 ther minor position. It is not a cheap crop 

 to produce, neither is it one that enjoys 

 an unlimited market, and it can hardly 

 be con.sidered a staple crop such as cab- 

 bage, carrots, beans or onions. It ranks 

 more as a luxury and is quite an aristocrat 

 compared with its humble outdoor bro- 

 thers. 



As an article of food the cucumber, 

 whether grown outdoors or under glass. 

 is not looked upon Avith raucli favour by 

 dietitians. Its actual value in calories is 

 ce:tainly not very great and most people 

 consider that it is very indigestible. While 

 cucumbers may not be of great food value 

 yet they are appreciated by thousands cf 

 people as a relish. 



The long green English type is not much 

 in favour on our markets except in a few 

 cases and on private estates. The market 

 Avants a cucumber that runs about eight 

 inches hmg and two inches in diameter, so 

 that 11/2 dozen will pack into an eleven 

 quart basket; but it is not altogether a 

 matter of packing. Dealers and retailers 

 find tliat the average families do not care 

 to buy two feet of cucumber at a time. 

 Tliey much prefer to buy smaller fruits 

 and buy them oftener. 



So much for the size of cucumber re- 

 quired, which is comparatively easy to get. 



What is our ideal cucumber? 



P.riefly. it should be about 8 inches long. 

 2 inches in diameter, straight, of even size 

 from end to end. with no neck and with- 

 out a heavy shouhler t>r small tip. It 

 should be dark green, smooth, with wliite 

 spines or spineless, and last but not least 

 should set fruit freely without jiollenation. 



This free setting witliout pollenation is 

 very important as it makes it unnecessary 

 to resort to artificial pollenation either by 

 band or by bees. Artificial pollenation is 



laborious and expen.sive and bees do not 

 work to advantage in the humid atmosphere 

 of the cucumber house. 



No pollenation of course means no .seeds, 

 and fruits without seeds keep in better 

 condition on the vines than Avhere seeds 

 are formed. But seedlessness may have 

 its disadvantages. We all appreciate 

 seedless oranges and seedless raisins and 

 most of us no doubt prefer seedless cvu'um- 

 liers, but the writer knows of one instance 

 where a customer returned some seedless 

 cucumbers with the complaint that they 

 were not ripe. 



Now it may seem that undue emjihasis is 

 being placed on the mere .selling qualities 

 of this crop, but that is really what we must 

 keep in mind. We must pioduce some- 

 thing that the consumer wants or can be 

 taught to want. The ordinary grower is 

 not much interested in the principles of 

 plant breeding. It is up to practical plant 

 breeders to understand and be able to ap- 

 ply these principles and produce new 

 fruits, vegetables and flowers, that will be 

 of greater value or beauty than anything 

 Ave liaA'e at present. 



The need of the smooth, small, seedless 

 cucumber must have been felt for a num- 

 ber of years as the original cross which 

 has given us our ucav A'ariety Avas made in 

 1910 by Mr. A. H. Maclennan. at that time 

 lecturer at the Ontario Agricultural Col- 

 lege and noAV Vegetable Specialist for 

 Ontario. 



In making this cross three varieties 

 Avere used : first. Suttons Everyday Avas 

 crossed Avith Fisks AVhite Spine, tlien this 

 hybrid Avas crossed Avith Princess. 



A brief description of each of these 

 varieties will not be out of place. 



Suttons EA'eryday is of the long green 

 English tyjie with a bottle neck. It sets 

 fiuit freely Avithout noHeiuition and is con- 

 se(|uently seedless. It has a smo<'th skin 



