186 GARDENING. 



watered, it will there arrive at all the perfection of 

 which it is susceptible. 



CUCUMBER (Cucumis). This genus of plants in- 

 cludes many species, varying in foliage, and in the 

 size and shape of their fruit. The more common 

 and useful of these are the bouquet, or cluster cu- 

 cumber, and the white, which are best fitted for 

 frames ; the yellow and the parrot, which are most 

 robust, productive, and best flavoured, and the green, 

 which, being nearest the wild state, is the fittest for 

 pickling. In our climate, this plant is raised in every 

 description of soil, and with a small degree of labour. 

 The ground being dug and smoothed, line it into 

 squares of six feet. In the centre of each dig a 

 hole about fourteen inches deep ; fill this with well- 

 rotted dung, and sow on it five or six cucumber 

 seeds ;* cover these with mould, and, when they are 

 grown to have a rough leaf, select two for each hill, 

 and draw out the remainder. You have now to 

 choose between three methods of treating the plant, 

 each of which has many and warm advocates. 1st. 

 Permitting it to regulate itself with regard to the 

 production and the length of the stem; 2d. The 

 pinching system, which, by shortening the stem, 

 compels it to push lateral branches ; and, 3d. The 

 plan of Rozier, which, by burying the runner at 

 short distances, avoids the hazard of pinching or 

 cutting, and, at the same time, obtains new roots 

 from the buried joints. Of the three methods, the 

 last has, in our opinion, the preference; but, as 

 others may come to a different conclusion, we will 

 point out the time, the mode, and the effect of short- 

 ening the stem. Soon after the plant acquires a sec- 

 ond rough leaf, you will discover about the foot of 

 it a bud which, if left to itself, would become a run- 

 ner. This must be pinched off, taking care, howev- 



* Twenty is a better number. Plants can be more readily 

 diminished than increased, and seeds cost little or nothing. -J. B. 



