No. 4.] SQUASHES, MELONS AND CUCUiMBERS. 127 



Another way of handling the crop is to start the plants in a hotbed 

 or greenhouse and transplant to pots, setting the plants in the field 

 after the first of June. By this method we have no trouble with bugs 

 or beetles and very much better results in the way of yield. This 

 system is adapted to market gardens, as the land can be used for an 

 early crop of spring radish or lettuce, and then be available for the 

 melons. 



As the melons are nearing maturitj'' out of doors it will be found 

 profitable to set them up on shingles, glass or berry baskets to protect 

 them from wire worms and from spotting. The richer and damper 

 the soil the more danger there is of loss from spotting. 



Cucumbers. 



Cucumbers are a greenhouse crop. They are raised under glass 

 in beds or greenhouses almost exclusively when raised at a profit. 

 Of course many cucumbers are raised out of doors, but the season 

 of fruiting is much shorter and the crop lighter per plant than when 

 grown in a greenhouse. The greenhouse crops may be started at any 

 time of year. The crop most productive of large returns will be one 

 that is be^jjinning to fruit in April or May. This crop will continue 

 in fruit until August if carefully handled and protected from green 

 fly and red spider. 



There are two particular ways of training the greenhouse crop, 

 called the string system and the trellis system. The plants for either 

 system are raised the same way. The seed is sown thickly in a bed 

 over a mild heat. As soon as the seed leaves are open the young 

 plants are set over into a seed bed, about 2 inches apart each way. In 

 a few days, three to seven, they should be set over in 5^-inch pots, one 

 plant in each pot. The pots should be plunged level with the ground 

 in a greenhouse, and set over mild heat in March, but need no heat 

 if set in April. If set in a bed or frame they will need some bottom 

 heat. It is best to water with water as hot as the hand can bear when 

 transplanting seedlings to the bed or pots. It is best to let the pots 

 go dry a few days before transplanting to the permanent row. This 

 will toughen the plants, and none will be lost by breakage in handling, 

 as they would if grown soft. Just before removing from the pots 

 soak each thoroughly with the hose, or by dipping in a tub of water. 



For the early set cucumbers the rows are prepared either the long 

 or short way of the house, by digging out a trench 18 inches wide and 

 about as deep, and filling in a foot of good, moist, hot horse manure, 

 and covering with 6 inches of loam. When setting, the loam is scooped 

 out every 16 to 30 inches and a plant set right down onto the hot 

 manure. The soil is then drawn around the ball of roots and the 

 rows watered with warm water. For the crop set in April or ]\Iay 

 no heat under the row is needed. A heavy coat of manure is worked 

 in and the plants set as above described. Then some crop like radishes 

 or beets, for greens, is sown between the rows of cucumbers. Either 



