THE WHITE SPINES. 2OI 



develops into frosty patches. When it appears, dry off 

 the house, raise the temperature, and give plenty of air 

 (without any draughts). It is also a good plan to dust 

 the foliage thoroughly with powdered sulphur. If the 

 disease threatens to become serious, sulphur should be 

 evaporated in the house. Flowers of sulphur is placed 

 in a small basin and set upon a small oil stove (Fig. 31, 

 page 92). The house is tightly closed, and enough 

 sulphur is evaporated to completely fill the house with 

 strong fumes for a half hour. Care must be exercised 

 that the sulphur does not take fire, for burning sulphur 

 is very injurious to plants. 



THE WHITE SPINE TYPES OF CUCUMBER. 



The forcing of the White Spine types of cucumber is 

 not greatly different from that of the true forcing types. 

 The chief points of dissimilarity to be borne in mind are 

 these : The White Spine types are shorter-lived than the 

 others, and tend to ripen up their crop at once ; they 

 are less succulent in growth, and demand full sunlight 

 for their best development ; they can be readily grown 

 under glass in summer, after the house is cleared of its 

 winter crops, thereby giving a crop much in advance of 

 the outdoor plants ; they seem always to require pollina- 

 tion, either by hand or by bees ; they are less rampant 

 growers, and bear smaller leaves than the others, and 

 may, therefore, be planted somewhat closer. 



With these contrasts in mind, the reader who has 

 followed the discussion of the English cucumber in the 

 preceding pages will have no difficulty in apprehending 

 the essential points in the management of these Ameri- 

 can cucumbers. The plants will mature the crop in 

 about three months from the time they are put on the 

 benches. A certain house of 68 plants yielded, in three 

 months, 6, 180 fruits, or an average of 90 to the plant. 

 This was possible because every fruit was picked the 



