146 A HOME VEGETABLE-GARDEN 



moss placed in paper pots or berry boxes, any 

 material that may be transplanted together with 

 the delicate seedlings. Dampen the sods or moss, 

 sprinkle fine soil over their root surfaces; then 

 scatter the seeds between, plenty to allow for all 

 loss, say four times as many as needed for the 

 crop. With such a start, cucumbers may be ready 

 for salad two or three weeks earlier and the gar- 

 dener may be much surer of ripe fruit. As soon 

 as the ground is warm enough, usually early in 

 June, plantings may be made in the open. 



Whether sown in the open garden or trans- 

 planted from the hotbed, cucumbers are always 

 grown in hills. Lay out the hills at least 4 feet 

 apart and spade them deeply 2 feet across, making 

 the soil even and fine and loose. At the bottom 

 of the hills, well below the young roots, put some 

 thoroughly rotted manure or compost material 

 to lighten the soil and at the same time hold the 

 moisture. Add to that a shovelful of the heat- 

 producing stimulating hen-manure or a little 

 commercial fertilizer. Cover it all with soil to 

 protect the roots from burning. On top of this 

 layer of soil scatter the seeds or arrange the 

 pieces of sod with the small plants from the hot- 

 bed, taking care not to injure the frail tap-roots. 

 Put them 2 inches apart and be sure to allow for 

 all dangers from frost and beetles and disease. 

 If a quarter of the seeds or even the plants sur- 

 vive the difficulties and dangers of early life, we 



