oo4: GARDENING FuK TILE SOUTH. 



the middle of the day, when the sashes are kept down, 

 until the plants get well established. 



Stopping in the frame is still more important than in 

 the open air. The temperature now must be kept between 

 70° and 1)0°, by external coatings of fresh dung, if neces- 

 sary. The shoots must be trained regularly over the sur- 

 face of the bed. Leave only two or three main branches 

 to each plant, removing the others as they appear. If the 

 plants that have been stopped have extended their run- 

 ners three joints without showing fruit, they must be 

 stopped again. The vines should blossom in a month from 

 the time of planting. Impregnate the pistillate or female 

 blossom (which may be known by its having fruit at- 

 tached), by taking the staminate blossom and placing its 

 center within that of the pistillate blossom. They may 

 be gathered in about two weeks after impregnation. 

 Three plants are sufficient for one sash of the usual size. 



For Seed. — Choose some of the finest fruit of each 

 variety growing near the root. Do not raise the plants 

 near other varieties, or the seed will mix and deteriorate. 

 Let them remain until they turn yellow, and the footstalk 

 withers; cut them off and keep in the sun until they begin 

 to decay; then wash the seed from the pulp, and spread 

 it out to dry. It will keep eight or ten years, and is even 

 better when three or four years old, as the plants are less 

 luxuriant and more productive. 



Use. — Cucumbers are a very popular, but not very 

 wholesome vegetable. They are of a cold, w T atery nature, 

 and many persons of weak constitution cannot eat them 

 without positive injury. They possess scarcely any nutri- 

 tive properties, but their cooling nature renders them to 

 most palates very agreeable, and persons in good health 

 do not find them injurious. They are eaten raw, fried, 

 stewed, and pickled. 



Marketing. — The well -grown cucumbers should be 



