CUCUMBERS 149 



As soon as the plants are three or four inches high 

 or whenever danger from disease or insects is over, 

 if too many are left, the poorest may be pulled. 

 At blossoming time, we hope the vines will have 

 vigor enough so that several fruits may set at 

 once. Do not allow the energy of the vine to be 

 so expended, so usurped in the development of a 

 first fruit that later ones are smaller and imper- 

 fect in development. Unless a single cucumber 

 is being grown for a special purpose, as for ex- 

 hibit, snip off the first ones until several set at 

 once. In this way, we may to some extent con- 

 trol fruit production. To gain the result desired, 

 it may be necessary also to control vine growth. 

 Too luxuriant growth of vine is usually at the 

 expense of the harvest of fruit. In that case, if 

 the vines grow big and long and the cucumbers 

 do not set or, after setting, they do not develop 

 well, pinch the ends of the vines. In growing ripe 

 cucumbers, it is especially necessary to control 

 growth and also not allow fruit to continue to set 

 too late in the season to mature. Controlling vine 

 growth and fruit setting will aid much in improv- 

 ing quality and hastening maturity. Cucumbers 

 are also a prey to disease and insect enemies, to 

 an unusual degree. Beetles may be disposed of 

 by hand-picking or they may be kept away by cov- 

 ering the young plants, by dusting with poison, or 

 by arsenical poison sprays. Spray with "black 



