VEGETABLE MARROWS, CUCUMBERS, ETC. 151 



cucumber forms on a lateral. All the time, water the 

 whole of the plants lightly twice a day with luke- 

 warm water and when the fruit commences to form 

 give weekly supplies of liquid manure to the roots. 

 Remember that proper growth cannot result unless light 

 and air are supplied abundantly. Fertilization is as for 

 vegetable marrows. 



When the last cucumber has been cut fumigate the 

 frame to kill off the spores of fungoidal growths and then 

 plant late lettuces or scatter the manure upon the plots 

 which we are about to dig. 



For ridge cucumbers, which are grown in the open, 

 prepare a bed about three feet deep, of good decayed 

 manure and cover it with a layer of rich soil. Into this 

 sow the seed three inches apart, wedge end downwards, 

 and proceed as for hotbed culture. Where it is desired 

 to promote a rapid growth, it will be a good plan to train 

 the young fruit to grow into large colourless wine bottles 

 or into cracked and disused lamp glasses. These serve 

 as hothouses and do much towards speeding up the fruit- 

 producing capacity of the plants. 



Useful varieties are : Improved Telegraph and Rock- 

 ford's Market for forcing ; Carters' Best of all Ridge and 

 Prickly Ridge for open-air growth ; and Gherkin, grown 

 out of doors, for pickling. 



