258 Gardening Under Glass 



inches deep. Here is where the sod from an old 

 pasture field will be especially desirable, for that 

 is the kind of soil that Cucumbers generally 

 succeed best in, although inability to provide 

 that specific kind of soil need deter no one from 

 attempting to grow them. Good Cucumbers 

 have been produced from the soil found in a rub- 

 bish heap. Fairly well-decayed manure from 

 the horse stable is very good for mixing with any 

 soil in the proportion of one fifth manure to 

 four fifths soil. 



The best supports for cucumbers are horizon- 

 tal wires placed about ten inches apart either 

 under the roof or at the end of a house or section. 

 If under the roof, the wires should be at least one 

 foot from the glass. 



Cucumbers are generally grown with many 

 branches, the point of the young plant being re- 

 moved when about twelve inches high and the 

 resultant branches being again "stopped," as 

 the operation is termed, when they have devel- 

 oped three or four leaves. This operation is 

 continued so long as the plant continues to grow. 



Plants should not be allowed to bear fruit 

 until they have at least ten to twelve developed 

 branches, and at no time should a plant be al- 

 lowed to carry more than from six to ten fruits, 

 and if the plant is not making vigorous growth. 



