GARDENING AND TRUCK FARMING. 303 



five feet apart each way. A large shovel full of fine manure to 

 a hill is none too much. It is best to mix the manure with the 

 earth, and there should be three or four inches of earth above 

 it. The hill should be made four to six inches above the level, 

 or the plants will be too low, for in planting you want to brush 

 off two inches of the hill, so as to drop the seed on fresh, moist 

 soil, and then step on it so as to press it firmly into the soil, and 

 this will settle the hill two or three inches more. All the cov- 

 ering they will need when treated in this way will be a little 

 fresh earth, and a slight motion of the foot covers them. An 

 acre can be planted in this way in less than two hours. As the 

 vines will run in about five weeks so that they can no longer 

 be cultivated with a horse, it is best to cultivate often; twice a 

 week is not too much. As soon as fairly in the rough leaf, thin 

 to four plants, leaving those most stocky, and as well scattered 

 as possible. If weeds start, or a heavy rain packs the soil after 

 the vines have run so as to prevent horse work, it will pay to 

 hoe the ground over lightly. At the final working I always sow 

 turnips, as they do not interfere with the vines in the least, and 

 will make a fine crop after the cucumbers are done bearing. I 

 very seldom fail in getting a good turnip crop on my cucumber 

 land. 



If the weather is good you can begin gathering pickles in 

 six weeks from planting, and if warm, they must be picked 

 every day, but cold nights will soon check their bearing. If 

 you are growing largely, it will pay to have a foreman for each 

 five or six pickers, to follow and see that they are picked clean 

 and to empty the baskets. The vines should never be lifted or 

 disturbed any more than necessary, and boys and girls with bare 

 feet will tramp the vines less than men with heavy boots. The 

 cleaner they are picked, and the more carefully handled, the 

 longer they will continue in bearing, and every cucumber should 

 be removed from the vines. If any were overlooked the pre- 

 vious day, and are too large for pickles, cut them and tlirow 

 them away, for if left to form seed, they will take all the 

 strength of the vine, and it will stop bearing. The picklos 

 should be assorted, the small ones, those from two and a half 



