254 GARDEN FARMING 



The time for planting varies somewhat, according to the locality, 

 but for central western New York it is from the first of June to 

 about the first of July. The harvest from the early planted seeds 

 begins the last of July and continues without interruption until the 

 vines are destroyed by frosts, unless they are seriously affected by 

 some fungous disease, which of course is apt to occur in areas 

 where cucumbers have been grown for a number of years. 



Harvesting. Cucumbers intended for pickling purposes are har- 

 vested when they have attained a length of from 2\ to 5 inches. 

 Because such cucumbers are bought by weight it will readily be 

 seen that the small-sized pickles are less profitable to the grower 

 than the larger ones ; on the other hand, they must be secured 

 before they have attained an unsalable size, for which purpose it is 

 necessary to harvest the areas at regular intervals and to continue 

 this routine throughout the bearing season. 



Another point which is of special importance in the management 

 of the cucumber patch is that none of the fruits be allowed to come 

 to maturity. The ripening process, which means the development 

 and maturing of the seeds, produces a heavy strain upon the grow- 

 ing plant, the life and yield of which is in proportion to the number 

 of fruits which are allowed to ripen. If no fruits are allowed to 

 come to maturity the plants will remain green and in an active 

 vegetative condition longer and will produce a much larger aggre- 

 gate number of fruits. 



Cucumbers are usually pulled from the vines and placed in suit- 

 able receptacles, either baskets with handles or crates. The slat 

 bushel-crate so extensively used in harvesting potatoes and apples 

 is employed in many localities. The cucumbers are hauled directly 

 from the field to the salting stations, where they are weighed and 

 credited to the account of the man delivering them. The usual 

 price per ton of cucumbers suitable for pickling purposes is $15, 

 and the crops range from 3 to 8 or 9 tons to the acre. It is not 

 at all unusual for farmers to secure a gross return of from $100 

 to $120 per acre from this crop. 



As has already been stated the chief expense in connection with 

 the production of pickling cucumbers is in the harvesting. There 

 have come to the notice of the writer several instances of farmers 

 offering one half the crop, after it has been grown, in return for 



