Division of Botany. 



CUCUMBERS UNDER GLASS. 



GEORGE E. STONE. 



Cucumbers have been grown under glass for the winter markets 

 in Massachusetts for a number of years. Not many years ago 

 cucumbers could be obtained only during their natural season. 

 This, however, is not true at the present time, inasmuch as they can 

 be procured in the market at any season of the year. In some sec- 

 tions of the State there are many greenhouses devoted to the pro- 

 duction of winter cucumbers under glass to supply the Massachu- 

 setts and New York markets. The winter prices of cucumbers 

 range from $0.75 to ^3.00 per dozen, according to the season, and 

 even at $1.00 per dozen there is a fair return for the care involved 

 and labor expended on their production, provided diseases do not 

 interfere with the normal yield of the crop. The prices formerly 

 obtained averaged higher than at present, consequently the profits 

 in the business were greater, as the cost of production and the 

 investment required in the business have not been materially reduced. 

 Cucumbers are disposed to a number of diseases induced by patho- 

 genic organisms and abnormal treatment. That these diseases 

 result in a loss to the grower is not surprising. This loss from dis- 

 eases, however, is too often directly traceable to ignorance on the 

 part of the grower having the crop in charge. Cucumbers do not 

 constitute a difficult crop to handle under glass compared with other 

 crops, such as lettuce, etc. Unfortunately, however, many growers 

 have made this crop a specialty without previous experience in grow- 

 ing any indoor crops. 



The production of greenhouse cucumbers in this State is on the 

 increase, as shown by the building each year of many new houses 

 either wholly or partially devoted to cucumbergrowing. The increase 



