CUCUMBERS 147 



shall be satisfied. For every hill, the careful 

 gardener may fairly expect three or four healthy 

 sturdy plants. 



Everything possible must be done to bring about 

 immediate vigorous growth and continuous de- 

 velopment. With all vegetables a quick start 

 means food and moisture and tillage. With vines, 

 especially, food that is completely ready for 

 assimilation is absolutely necessary. The am- 

 monia in the hen-manure at the bottom of the 

 hills will produce steady growth, once the roots 

 can reach this rich supply. In the meantime, a 

 little nitrate about the hills will aid in getting 

 growth started. Use it often, once a fortnight 

 until midsummer, for the salad cucumbers. With 

 those grown for hard little pickles and the big 

 ones for ripe fruit when firm texture is so neces- 

 sary, discontinue the nitrate as soon as growth 

 has started. After that, if anything further is 

 used, let it be, instead, a scattering of wood-ashes. 



For the season's supply of moisture so essential 

 to the succulent cucumbers, much was done in the 

 general soil preparation and in the special fitting 

 of the cucumber strip at planting time. Provid- 

 ing moisture-holding material and securing a 

 light loose condition of the soil has already 

 placed in readiness the entire supply of water. 

 As we know, continual surface tillage will pre- 

 vent any waste of this natural source of moisture. 

 It may not be sufficient, however; cucumbers 



