THE CUCUMBER FAMILY. 



or Vegetable Marrows. The extreme variability assumed by 

 the species of this group is especially well known to gardeners, 

 who find it extremely difficult to keep their stock of Melons or 

 Cucumbers pure, a state of things which becomes absolutely 

 impossible if more than one variety of each species be grown 

 in the same house or pit. When a really first-rate Cucumber 

 or Melon is obtained, the only safe plan is to banish all others 

 from the garden, and if possible it should be perpetuated by 

 cuttings * rather than by seeds. These plants bear unisexual 

 flowers /.<?., male and female blossoms on the same plant ; 

 and this favours cross-fertilisation rather than otherwise. The 

 usual method of propagating Cucurbits of all kinds is by 

 means of seeds, which are profusely borne by both species and 

 varieties alike. New seeds are noted for producing robust- 

 habited plants, whose development tends rather to the pro- 

 duction of foliage and vine than fruit ; and to counteract 

 this, gardeners prefer old seeds of Cucumbers and Melons, as 

 when their vitality is impaired by age they make a weaker but 

 more fruitful growth. The same end is attained by carrying 

 the seeds in the pocket for a period of, say, five or six weeks, 

 in which time their vitality becomes partially impaired by over 

 evaporation, and a shorter-jointed and more fertile result is 

 obtained. Cuttings of nearly all Cucurbits root readily in 

 bottom-heat, especially during bright sunny weather, if inserted 

 in sandy soil, or better still, sawdust, and covered with a hand- 

 light or close shade. To prevent flagging, sever the lower 

 leaves of the cutting in half, and shade from direct sunshine. 

 Cuttings so treated root in three or four days or a week, and 

 bear fruit in a much smaller state than seedling plants, while 

 the particular sort or variety can of course be certainly relied 

 on. Raising new varieties of Cucumbers, Melons, or Gourds, 

 is one of the simplest of all cross-breeding operations ; but the 

 finest varieties rapidly degenerate or become impure unless 

 the precaution above recommended of complete isolation be 

 carried out. The origin of our cultivated Cucumber (C. 

 sativus) is not well known, numerous forms of Cucumis having 

 been grown in the East for thousands of years. Dr Hooker 

 is of opinion that C. sativus had its origin in C. Hardwickii 

 Royle, which inhabits the Himalayas from Kumaon to Sikkim 

 (see also Naudin, ' Ann. Sc. Nat.,' 1. c. p. 30). We have no well- 

 authenticated case of the Cucumis sativtis having produced 



* The Hon. and Rev. J. T. Boscawen of Lamaran Probus has a re- 

 markably well-flavoured seedless variety of Cucumber in his garden which 

 he has perpetuated by cuttings for thirteen years. 



