STARTING THE PLANTS. 187 



at one time. If the fruits are picked as soon as they 

 arrive at edible size, the crop will be the larger. 



The plants are started in flats, upon small squares of in- 

 verted sods, or in pots. I prefer the pots. We use 3-inch 

 rose-pots, filling them only a third full of earth. When 

 the plant has formed a pair of true leaves and stands well 

 above the brim, the pot is filled with earth. This affords 

 additional root space and renders transplanting unneces- 

 sary. When the pots are well filled with roots, the plants 

 are transferred directly to the beds. Now comes one of 

 the most critical times in cucumber forcing. The young 

 plants are very liable to the attacks of aphis and fungi, 

 and any failure in the bottom heat will seriously affect 

 them. There are very few vegetables which require 

 such careful attention until they become established. 

 The aphis which is mentioned later on must be kept 

 off, or the plant will be ruined, even in a few days. A 

 stunted cucumber plant will make a short, bunchy 

 growth at the top, and the leaves will be small and yel- 

 lowish ; it may remain almost stationary for some weeks. 

 Even if it finally resumes vigorous growth, it rarely be- 

 comes a profitable plant. Some plants become stunted 

 without apparent cause. A prolific source of poor plants 

 is the growing of the seedlings in fall before the fires 

 are started, for if the young plants become cold at night 

 they will almost surely be ruined. To insure a good 

 stand, I advise starting three or four times as many 

 plants as are needed. The most vigorous ones are set 

 out a foot or foot and a half apart upon the benches. 

 As soon as the plants are established, the weaker ones 

 are destroyed, leaving the remaining individuals from 

 2^ to 3 feet apart. A good plant will grow vigorously 

 from the start, and sometimes the lower leaves will fall 

 off, giving it a scraggly and diseased appearance ; but 

 so long as the growing portions are vigorous and the 

 leaves are not attacked by mildew, the plant is in good 

 condition. 



