New Principles of Gardening. 
to the magnitude of its Fruit ; as for Example : The Turky Cu- 
cumber, whofe Fruit is very large, produces a much larger 
Vine, and extends it felf much farther than the long prickly 
Gucumber, and that alfo much larger, and of greater extent, 
than the fhort early prickly Cucumber. 
Therefore feeing that every different Kind of Cucumber is 
of a different Growth; great Care fhould be taken in their 
Pianting that they are difpos’d of, at fuch Diftances, as is pro- 
per and fuitable to their refpective Growth. 
The different Growth of Cucumbers being thus confidered, 
as to their Diftance, each Hole from one another; we fhould 
alfo confider the number of Plants neceffary for each Hole ac- 
cording to their difference of Growth; for was we to place 
but one or two at moft of the fhort prickly Cucumber Plants 
in one Hole, which is fully fufficient for the Turky Kind, we 
fhould not receive a half Crop; and on the contrary, if of the 
Turky Cucumber we plant three or four Plants,. as is ufually 
done with the prickly Kind, their Vines would rob one ano- 
ther of their Nourifhment, and run into Confufion. 
‘Tis obfervable, that. new Cucumber Seed draws a much 
greater Nourifhment, and. is lefs fruitful, than fuch Seed as is 
fix. or feven Years old, their Vines being more luxuriant, and 
lefs prolifick, with their Joints at a very great Diftance ; which 
in old well faved Seed, are very clofe.and nearly fituated to- 
gether. Now in order for the Difcovery of the Caufe, why 
old Seed fhould produce a much better Crop. of Cucumbers, 
than new Seed, I have made the following Experiment, where- 
in I have difcovered the Caufe. 
Having early in the Year made choice of the very beft and 
earlieft Cucumbers that came to perfectionin the Spring ( which 
muft always be obferved, and not delayed to the latter part of 
the Crop, when the Fruit has not half its Strength and Good- 
nefs) to fave Seed from when rotten ripes I then wafhed 
it out and dried the fame in the Sun, and put it into a Seed 
Bag, very fecure from Mice, which are great Loyers of this 
kind of Seed, and therefore muft be carefully guarded againft. 
This being done, I took part of the Seed, and caufed it to 
be fewed up in a fmall Linen Bag, which about the begin- 
ning of Augu/ft I put into the Watch Pocket of my Breeches, 
wherein it remain’d till the end of December following ; at pose 
ime 
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