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CUCUMBER. 



feet state, the caterpillars affording the best charac- 

 ters for specific differences in the genus. The moths 

 fly very strongly. Reaumur has given us an account 

 of the proceedings of the larva; of one of these moths 

 (C. scrophularice), in the construction of its cocoon, 

 which is formed of particles of earth fastened together. 

 Having dug up one of these caterpillars which had 

 just completed its case, he broke off one end, in order 

 to see the manner in which the insect would repair 

 the damage. After thrusting out its body almost to 

 its full extent, and reconnoitering the adjacent ground, 

 it selected a grain of earth and fastened it into the 

 breach with a thread of silk ; proceeding in this way, 

 it almost closed the hole, the outside being built of 

 larger grains, and the interior of finer. Moreover, 

 previous to completely closing the aperture, it ga- 

 thered a quantity of earth on the inside, which it 

 thrust with its head into a silken network woven over 

 the part which still remained open, by which means 

 the whole was rendered opaque and equally firm with 

 the unbroken part. There are about a dozen British 

 species, including the typical species above mentioned, 

 which is one inch and three quarters in expanse. 

 The larva is found upon the water betony. The 

 larvae of all the species are handsome caterpillars, and 

 the chrysalides have the head-case produced. 



CUCUMBER, is the Ciicumis sativa of Linnaeus, 

 and a well-known horticultural plant, extensively 

 cultivated for its green fruit. 



Of the cucumber, it may be averred, that there is 

 no plant in cultivation which receives more care and 

 attention from the kitchen-gardener than this. The 

 earlier the fruit can be had in the season, the more 

 they are prized. Fruit in general are most valuable 

 when mature ; the cucumber, on the contrary, is only 

 useful when very young and green ; indeed, the 

 younger the fruit, when large enough for table, the 

 more it is esteemed. 



A fine cucumber brought to table on Christmas 

 day, and which has been cut from a plant raised from 

 seed sowed after the 20th of October preceding, is 

 certainly the most costly fruit ever seen on the tables 

 of the rich. For estimating the time, labour, and 

 materials employed in the production of such a luxury, 

 the expense is certainly greater than is bestowed on 

 any other vegetable delicacy. It is true, a gardener 

 is not kept entirely for the purpose of growing early 

 cucumbers, this being only a part of his other more 

 material duties ; but, calculating the attention and 

 time dedicated to this sole object, the labour greatly 

 exceeds the worth of the production. However, as it 

 is one of those gratifications expected from the pos- 

 session of an expensively kept kitchen garden, it should 

 always make a part of the superintendent's duty. 



As an exotic, and the production of a warm climate, 

 it requires an artificial temperature in this country, 

 more especially when cultivated during our coldest 

 season. This can only be afforded by fire-heat, or 

 that of some fermentable substance. The most com- 

 mon, because the most plentiful material for the 

 purpose, is stable litter, after being thrown to the 

 dunghill, which being properly prepared by frequent 

 turning, to allow the rank ammonious steam to 

 evaporate, is made into beds, covered with frames 

 and glazed sashes, and with suitable compost to 

 receive the plants. 



There are various ways of forming the beds ; 

 somo are formed entirely of prepared dung, raised 

 four feet or more in height, on which the frame and 



lights are set. However high this hotbed may be 

 raised, its heat will decline at last, and often, at the 

 very time a lively bottom heat is most wanted ; in 

 this case, linings of hot dung are applied to renew the 

 heat, and which require to be often repeated. The 

 greatest objections to this kind of hotbed are the 

 heat is too strong at first, and when it declines, 

 sufficient heat cannot be imparted to the middle of 

 the bed by linings. From the first the plants are 

 liable to be burnt ; and from the second, chilled. To 

 avoid these extremes, some gardeners make a new 

 dungbed, of moderate depth, on the top of an old 

 one, and trust entirely to linings for bringing the 

 plants to perfection. By this plan, there is no fear 

 of burning the roots ; and when the linings are 

 timely applied, this method succeeds very well. 

 Others dig pits for hotbeds, having the sides and 

 ends of open, or pigeon-hole brick-work, leaving a 

 vacuity two feet wide all round, for the reception of 

 linings, on which the cultivator chiefly depends for a 

 sufficient and equable degree of heat. In this mode, 

 it is usual to fill the pit within the walls with brick- 

 bats, or brushwood, half way up, on which the pre- 

 pared dung and compost are laid, to receive the 

 plants. By these means the heat from the linings is 

 collected in the hollow brushwood-filled space, whence 

 it rises in a constant and moderated stream through 

 the dung and mould of the bed, gently exciting and 

 nourishing the plants. Others, again, to be free from 

 the labour of applying linings every ten or twelve 

 days, have a steam, or hot-air chamber, under the bed, 

 whence the requisite heat is derived. In short, 

 there are scores of different schemes for growing 

 early cucumbers, and all are more or less successful, 

 according to the degree of attention or skill bestowed 

 on the culture. 



At one time, growing early cucumbers for prizes 

 given at shows, was a favourite amusement among 

 many gardeners round London and some other 

 places. The competitors were bound, by certain 

 rules, as to the time of sowing, viz. not till after the 

 20th of October, and the prizes were awarded to the 

 finest and most perfect fruit. Length, regular shape, 

 greenness, regularly garnished with short black 

 prickles, finely covered with a white mealiness, called 

 bloom, and, if still bearing the unfaded blossom on 

 the end, all, or the greatest number of these properties, 

 combined in any one fruit, determined the judges in 

 making their award, and without knowing to whom 

 the fruit belonged till after they had given judgment. 

 It is hardly to be credited with what exactness these 

 punctilios were attended to by the judges, and what 

 pains were taken by the competitors to grow and 

 show fruit answering to the established ideas of a 

 perfect show-cucumber. Glass tubes, and various 

 other modes of confinement, were practiced to give 

 the proper shape. If any prickles were wanting, 

 others, taken from inferior fruit, were ingeniously 

 substituted. If the mealy bloom had disappeared, it 

 was restored by an easy process of puffing hair- 

 powder, or some such floury matter, upon it, in a box 

 made for the purpose ; and as it often happened 

 that fine fruit would be ready long before the show- 

 day, the growers had a clever device of keeping 

 them in a fresh unaltered state, by burying them 

 (properly packed) deep in the ground. In fact, the 

 business of growing and showing cucumbers for 

 prizes was a distinct branch of the gardeners occupa- 

 tion, and excelled in but by few. 



