36 



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numerous observations which we have made on various crops, we have 

 found that a very hirge percentage of the pistiUate flowers of the 

 laterals occur in the first axils. The largest number of internodes 

 occurring between the successive formations of fruit on the plant was 

 seven ; in other words, fruit is found in the largest number of cases in 

 every seventh axil. 



In the development of the two-shoot system it is necessary that the 

 plants should be manipulated when small, or at that period when two 

 leaves have developed. The plant in this stage of development is shown 

 in Fig. 3, in which case the dotted lines represent the plant as it will 

 apjjcar as a result of cutting the leader at c. The cutting is best ac- 

 complished with a sharp knife, when the bud of the leader is very small. 

 This causes a shoot to develop in the axil of the cotyledons and another 



at c. In this case we 



\', // have a plant where 



j! two laterals form 



.,:i\ V the two leaders. The 



subsequent process 

 of pruning is similar 

 to that described un- 

 der the single-shoot 

 system. 



There is a difter- 

 ence of opinion as to 

 the relative merits 

 of the single and 

 double shoot system, 

 some cucumber 

 growers preferring 

 the one-shoot sys- 

 tem, and others 

 preferring the two- 

 shoot system. On 

 this point, however, 

 it may be stated that 

 cucumbers do not 

 stand overcrowd- 

 ing ; and when they 

 are planted in the 

 greenhouse 2 feet or 30 inches apart, we believe the single-shoot 

 system is equal if not superior to the two-slioot system. In some of 

 the largest crops of cucumbers which we have ever observed the plants 

 have had ample room for development. In one instance, where a third 

 row of vines was planted in a good-sized house, the crop was only one- 

 third of that where two rows were planted. 



A number of experiments have been made by us in pruning cucumber 

 plants ; space does not permit us to go into a full discussion of the results 

 of these experiments at the present time. However, some of the main 

 points deducted from them can be jjointed out in a brief manner. 



Fig 3. — Showing the development of the two-shoot system. 

 The leader is cut at c, and two new laterals or leaders develop, 

 as shown in the dotted lioee. 



