CUCUMBERS 233 



Still another method of transplanting in those regions where the 

 cucumber cannot be planted early in the open is to cut pieces of 

 turf about 6 inches square, and 2 or 3 inches in thickness, from 

 an old pasture. These are placed, grass side down, on the surface 

 of the hotbed or cold frame, and in the center of each are planted 

 3 or 4 seeds. By this treatment the seeds can be planted from 

 four to six weeks earlier than they could be planted in the open. 

 By giving careful attention to the watering and ventilating of the 

 hotbed or cold frame, the plants can be carried in the frames until 

 they begin to run, which will be five or six weeks after the seeds 

 are sown, depending on the temperature and treatment given. In 

 localities where it is desirable to secure a limited supply of very 

 early fruits, one of these methods can be used by market gardeners 

 with success and profit. 



Starting the plants in the open. While the earliest field crops 

 of cucumbers are handled in this way, such crops constitute only a 

 small percentage of the total area cultivated in any section. The 

 main crop of the region is usually produced at a season when the 

 seeds can be safely planted in the open, and is cultivated much 

 after the manner of squashes. When planted in the open, from 6 

 to 10 seeds are usually placed in hills 6 feet apart each way, and 

 spaced in the hill so that the plants will stand 3 or 4 inches apart 

 in each direction. After all danger from insects is past, the plants 

 are thinned, usually to 3 or 4 to the hill. In some instances the 

 planting is done in drills rather than in hills, and the plants are 

 thinned to stand at intervals of I foot, with the rows 6 feet apart. 



In outdoor culture the cucumber is frequently used as a com- 

 panion crop to other vegetables like beans. Beans, being of rapid 

 growth, " come on " quickly and form a partial protection or 

 windbreak for the young cucumber plants. When grown with 

 beans, cucumbers are planted in drills or in hills 6 feet apart, and 

 I row of beans is placed between 2 rows of cucumbers, a method 

 which insures a complete and satisfactory use of the ground. 

 Because of the quick maturing of the beans they can be harvested 

 and removed from the area before it is required for the cucumbers. 



Preparation of the soil. The soil best suited to the early crop 

 of cucumbers is of necessity one which warms up early in the 

 spring and is well drained. A light, sandy loam is generally 



