, CUCUMBER. 171 



with flannel and invert it, fill the saucer and soak 

 the flannel with water, and throw upon it as much 

 seed as will stick. The apparatus set on a man- 

 telpiece will be verdant in a few days. Any of the 

 early sowings in the garden which happen not to 

 be used as a crop will produce plenty of seed. 



Cucumber Though the native of a warm climate, 

 is in this more easily reared than digested. It is 

 downright bad food for most stomachs, and certainly 

 by no one who has ever had complaint of that organ 

 ought this fruit ever to be tasted. It is less plea- 

 sant to detail the modes of cultivating a plant which 

 to some is at best not noxious, whilst to others it is 

 pernicious; yet as it is pleasant to see it grow, and 

 being at least to some eaters harmless and desirable, 

 whilst the fruit in its infant state is much esteemed 

 for pickling, it deserves as well as many of its neigh- 

 bours to have a place. In the manse garden, how- 

 ever, it were quite out of place if it must be treated 

 with all that art which is requisite to present it in 

 all its varieties, and in all those seasons in which 

 with due care it is capable of being produced. 



It is a very tender annual raised from seed, and, 

 which is singular, the seed is better for being some 

 years old. As there are so many sorts early short 

 prickly, early long prickly, most long prickly, long 

 smooth green, Dutch or white short prickly, long 

 green Turkey, white Turkey, etc. the simplest 

 way is to save the seed of that sort which best suits 

 the palate. The fruit must be thoroughly rip e, 

 and its seed washed from the pulp and dried in 



