CUCUMBER. 47 



edge; with one sweep of the hand the knife performs 

 the operation, the cut pulp passing into a pail, from 

 which it is emptied into a barrel placed conveniently 

 in the field, to undergo fermentation. 



For larger fields, it will be necessary to expedite the 

 removal of the seed pulp by the use of a machine. 

 There are two kinds in general use, both constructed 

 specially for extracting cucumber, melon and tomato 

 seeds. One, run by horse-power, is fashioned so that 

 fruit being poured into a hopper, is crushed between a 

 revolving wooden roller and an adjustable crushing 

 board, and then is passed into a long reel made of 

 wire netting, which revolves and separates the seed. 



The other machine, which is run by steam power or 

 by a gasoline motor, is called a Cucumber, Melon and 

 Tomato Seed-separator. It is six feet long, and is 

 operated by a crank on each side. The fruit is con- 

 veyed by an elevator into a hopper, and thence to two 

 revolving rollers, which crush it and pass it to a re- 

 volving screen, four feet in length, having two canes on 

 the end of a shaft forming a beater, which separates 

 the seed. Under the screen, a pan is set to receive the 

 seed as it falls. 



This latter machine will extract 1,000 pounds of 

 cucumber seed in a day. When in use, it is mounted 

 on a low wagon built with a platform. A two-horse 

 steam engine is placed facing it at the front end. 

 Drawn by two horses, the wagon makes the round of 

 the field. Fourteen rows are taken at a time, six on 

 one side, six on the other, the wagon going through the 

 two rows between. These two rows are picked ahead 

 of the wagon, far enough to bring the elevator of the 

 machine even with the pickers on either side. Large 

 tin pails are used for picking. Twelve men are kept 



