CUCUMBER. 



CUCUMBER. 

 CONCOMBRE. Cucwnis sativus, eic. 



VARIETIES. 



Early Frame. 

 Early Green Cluster. 

 Early Green Table. 

 Long Prickly. 

 Short Prickly. 



Long Green. 

 Extra Long Green. 

 Long White Turkey. 

 White Spined. 

 West India, or Gherkrn 



THE Cucumis sativus, or common Cucumber, is a native of 

 the East Indies, and of nearly as great antiquity as the vine. 

 It was introduced into England in 1573. and is extensively 

 cultivated in forcing frames, and in the open air. In March, 

 they are sold in the London Markets for a guinea a dozen ; 

 and in August and September for one penny per dozen. 



As Cucumbers are much used in New- York, it should be 

 an object with gardeners to have them in the market early ; 

 directions for raising them out of the ordinary season, are 

 therefore given in a future page, under the head Forcing 

 Vegetables ; to which the reader is referred. Cucumbers 

 may be raised in the open ground by planting seed the first 

 week of May, in hills four feet apart ; or if the ground be 

 light, basins formed an inch below the level of the surface 

 would be beneficial.* Previous to planting, the ground should 

 be prepared by incorporating a shovelful of rotten clung with 

 the earth in each hill, after which four or five seed may be 

 planted half an inch deep. One ounce of good seed is suf- 

 ficient for two hundred hills and upward. 



Cucumbers are liable to be attacked by a yellow fly, which 

 sometimes devours young plants ; these and other insects 

 may be killed by sowing tobacco dust, soot, powdered char- 



* The term hill is frequently made use of by gardeners and farmers, to 

 designate a situation allotted for a given number of seed, whereas, such 

 seed are more frequently deposited below the level of the surface than 

 above it ; yet, as the plants progress in growth, hills are frequently formed 

 around them, which makes the term applicable, or rather reconciles the 

 apparent contradiction 



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