80 GARDENING FOR PROFIT. 



foot from the glass, owing to its nearness to the sashes. 

 The depth of soil should be, if on raised wooden benches, 

 about five or six inches; if on the solid center bed, eighteen 

 inches to two feet. The soil should be a sandy loam, with 

 one-fifth well-rotted cow manure. The night tempera- 

 ture in the forcing-house for the fall, winter and spring 

 months for cucumbers, should range as near as possible 

 from sixty to sixty-five degrees, with a temperature on 

 bright days of from ten to fifteen degrees higher, giving 

 ventilation at all reasonable times. Cucumbers delight 

 in a moist atmosphere, and whenever the weather is 

 bright and clear, water should be sprinkled on the pipes, 

 walks and under the benches. A dry atmosphere is cer- 

 tain to develop the Red Spider, which is fatal to success. 

 It may also be here stated, if Cucumbers are to be; 

 forced during the winter months, that to keep up the 

 necessary high temperature eight runs of four-inch pipeo 

 will be required in a greenhouse twenty feet wide, instead 

 of six, as recommended for Lettuce and Radishes, though, 

 when grown only to succeed the Lettuce or Radish crop 

 in spring, which is usually the case, the six runs of 

 pipes at that season will be sufficient. 



Although there is no necessity for artificial impregna- 

 tion of the Cucumber flowers when grown in the open 

 air, where the insects and winds do. the work, yet, when 

 grown in the forcing-house, it is absolutely necessary, 

 particularly in midwinter. This is best done with a 

 camel's hair pencil, by detaching the'pollen, or fertilizing- 

 dust, from the stamens and applying it to the stigma. It 

 will also facilitate impregnation on bright days to slightly 

 jar the wire trellis, so as to let the pollen loose, which, 

 in floating through the air, fastens on the stigma. Cu- 

 cumbers from seed sown in October will give a continu- 

 ous crop until June of course, if well handled. When 

 wanted only to succeed crops of Lettuce or Radishes in 

 spring, the seed should not be sown until February or 



