408 BOARD OF AGKICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



CUCUMBER GROWING IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



BY PROF. GEO. E. STONE, PROFESSOR OF BOTANY, MASSACHUSETTS AGRI- 

 CULTURAL COLLEGE. 



The cucumber industry is of some importance in this State, 

 when one takes into consideration the amount of fruit grown 

 under glass and that grown out of doors. It was not many 

 years ago that cucumbers could be obtained onh^ during 

 their natural season. This, however, is not true at the pres- 

 ent time, inasmuch as cucumbers can be -obtained in the 

 market at any season of the year. In some sections of the 

 State there are many greenhouses devoted to the production 

 of winter cucumbers under glass, which frequently bring a 

 high price. These are not only grown to supply' the Massa- 

 chusetts markets, but many of them are shipped to New 

 York. The winter prices of cucumbers range from $0.75 

 to $3 per dozen, according to the season, and even at $1 

 per dozen there is a fair return for the care involved and 

 labor expended on their production, providing diseases do 

 not interfere with the normal yield of the crop. The pro- 

 duction of greenhouse cucumbers in this State is on the 

 increase, as shown b}- the building of many new houses each 

 year, which are either wholh^ or partially devoted to cucum- 

 ber growing. The increase in the immber of cucumber 

 houses is not so great as in those devoted to lettuce. Since, 

 however, most lettuce growers raise a spring crop of cucum- 

 bers in their houses each year, the production has increased. 

 The groAving of outdoor cucumbers is carried on extensively 

 in some localities. In one small section of the Connecticut 

 valley one hundred acres or more are grown. 



The Cucumber Plant. 

 The cucumber {Cucnmis safivus h.) belongs to the cucur- 

 bitacea; or gourd family, to Avhich other important economic 

 idaiits, such as the melon, s(|uash, pum})kin, etc., belong. 



