t 



VEGETABLES CUCUMBER. 201 



could in New York, and as it is one of the easiest things 

 we have to ship, a profitable business could be made of 

 growing it to send North. The profits on an acre of Cu- 

 cumbers grown by this method in Charleston, and sold 

 in New York in June, would, I think, exceed the aver- 

 age profits of twenty-five acres of Cotton. For forward- 

 ing under glass see "Forcing Cucumbers," on page 79. 



Cucumbers are also extensively raised for pickling, 

 hundreds of acres being grown for this purpose in the 

 vicinity of New York, especially in Westchester County. 

 Sod or stubble land, plowed in early fall, and again 

 turned over twice or thrice in spring, is the condition of 

 soil usually chosen. 



The ground is marked out as for Corn, four feet each 

 way, and a good shovelful of well-rotted manure, dug in 

 at the tingle which forms the hill ; the seed is sown 

 about a dozen in each hill usually about the 20th of 

 June, but equally good crops can be obtained by sowings 

 made as late as the middle of July. 



The average price of late years has been $1.50 per 

 1,000, and the number grown per acre on properly culti- 

 vated lands is 150,000, which is $225 gross receipts per 

 acre. The expense of raising is said to be about one- half. 

 These profits would not satisfy the market gardener on 

 his few valuable acres near the city, but, no doubt, are 

 remunerative enough to the farmers with large quanti- 

 ties of cheap land. 



The varieties are numerous and embrace many very 

 well marked kinds. The large growing kinds that attain 

 two feet or more in length have never become favorites 

 in our American markets. 



Improved White Spine, (See figure 44.) This, a favor- 

 ite market variety, belongs to the section of short Cucum- 

 bers, producing fruit of medium size, from six to eight 

 inches in length, and two to three inches in diameter. 

 It is a handsome fruit, deep green in flesh, crisp, and of 



