The seed of the cucumber belongs to this latter class, i. e. it con- 

 tains proteids and oil as a reserve material, but no starch. Hence 

 arises the necessity of utilizing its cotyledons as assimilating organs 

 at a very early stage in its development, in order that the plant may 

 be supplied with carbohydrate material for metabolism and growth. 

 Fig. I shows the seed of the cucumber and its various parts, together 

 with the seedlings in different stages of development. Usually one 

 end of the seed is more pointed than the other. The pointed end is 

 where the root protrudes during the process of germination, and is 

 that part of the seed where it is attached in the ovary or fruit, as is 

 shown by the scar, which is known as the hilum. When seeds are 

 soaked in water for a few hours, they swell. If we squeeze a water- 

 soaked seed, it wUl be seen that water exudes at the hilum end. 

 This is because there is a pore at that end called the micropyle 

 which enables the seed to absorb water readily. The seed is pro- 

 vided with two coats ; one which is thin and transparent, and an 

 outer one which is opaque. Inside the coats is what is called the 

 embryo, which consists of two cotyledons, or seed leaves ; the radicle, 

 or root ; hypocotyl, or that portion of the stem under the cotyledons ; 

 and the plumule, or undeveloped stem. The embryo constitutes a 

 minute plantlet. Three different stages of germination are also 

 shown, and the various parts which we saw in the embryo have 

 become greatly extended. The cucumber plantlet has an ingenious 

 and peculiar way of getting out of its coats. The one-sided out- 

 growth (p) between the radicle and hypocotyl, known as a peg, acts 

 as a lever in spreading the micropyle end of the seed, by which 

 means the cotyledons may be more conveniently withdrawn. 



Types of Houses. 



So much depends upon the type or style of a house in the economic 

 production of a healthy, vigorous, and prolific plant that it is essen- 

 tial to consider this in the growing of a crop of cucumbers. Differ- 

 ent types of houses are utilized in the growing of cucumbers. Mar- 

 ket gardeners who raise two or three crops of lettuce during the fall 

 and winter generally plant cucumbers in their lettuce houses in late 

 winter or early spring. These lettuce houses are almost invariably 

 either two-thirds or even span, and they are provided with ground 

 beds instead of benches. They are glazed with 1 6 by 24 or 1 6 by 28 



