370 FORCING GARDEN. 



tender annual, requiring, in England, the assistance of arti- 

 ficial heat to bring it to perfection. It properly belongs to 

 the class of culinary vegetables, being used in salads and 

 pickles. It has been long cultivated in England, where, 

 however, its culture requires the closest attention of the 

 gardener. The sorts commonly grown are, 



The Early Frame. Short Green Prickly. 



Sion House. Green Turkey. 



Long Green Prickly. Prize-fighter. 



Of these, the long and short prickly are well suited for 

 ridges in the open air. 



The culture of early cucumbers so much resembles that 

 of the melon that it would be useless repetition to enter 

 into minute details. The cucumber, indeed, is somewhat 

 the hardier, and therefore in summer requires less heat ; 

 but in every other respect the management of the plants is 

 precisely the same. The first crop of cucumbers is gene- 

 rally sown in the end of December, or the beginning of 

 January; a second in March, and a third in June. In 

 summer, cucumber plants, after they have been fairly estab- 

 lished, require scarcely any other attention than to thin 

 them out occasionally, and to supply them with water. 



Cucumbers, particularly the prickly sorts, are often 

 raised in the warmer months under hand-glasses. A cavity 

 is made in a border in front of a wall or other warm place, 

 and is filled with hot dung. This dung is covered with 

 earth, and two or three plants are put into it, and sheltered 

 with a hand-glass. They are watered and dressed from 

 time to time ; and by this means a sufficient supply of small 

 cucumbers, or girkins, is obtained for pickling. 



In the southern counties of England, pickling cucum- 

 bers are easily raised without any artificial heat, being 

 sown in drills in the open ground. The earth is made fine 



