48 MV HANDKERCHIEF GARDEN. 



vine that can be easily trained on a trellis, and in a 

 garden where space is so valuable, it will be found a 

 good plan to set up a trellis of galvanized wire fence- 

 netting. It is about a yard wide, and only enough is 

 needed to reach across the lot. It should be sup- 

 ported on blocks from the fence to leave a few inches 

 clear space behind it. When the posts are on this side 

 of the fence it could be nailed to the posts. Six hills 

 of cucumbers planted close to the netting would fill 

 the space, and the young vines, when they are once 

 led up to the trellis, will quickly run all over it, bear- 

 ing their fruit and flowers in the air, instead of on 

 the ground in the usual way. The fruit will hang 

 from the vine and ripen on the fence just as well as 

 when lying on the ground. If there are more vines 

 than will fill the trellis, let them spread over the 

 ground in front of it. 



The culture of the cucumber and its cousir.., the 

 melon, is very simple. Have the soil made rich and 

 soft, and sow about twent}' seeds in an open ring or 

 a circular patch and cover thinly with soil pressed 

 down firmly. As they appear, pull the weakest ones 

 out. Wait a week or ten days and then pull up all 

 except six in each hill or group. In this way the ex- 

 cess of plants serves as insurance against insects. 

 Some will be sure to be destroyed, and by having too 

 many the crop can be saved. The after-culture con- 

 sists in keeping the ground raked after rains till the 

 plants become so thick that nothing more can be 

 done. The vines should be examined every morning 

 and all the ripe fruit removed, as a single cucumber, 

 left to mature and ripen its seed will injure the 

 vine far more than two dozen cut when half grown. 

 The White Spine Cucumber will be found a good 

 standard kind. 



It seems to be a law in plant growth that, if any 



