iS8 



the older plants for the younger and more tender 

 ones. Another hill should be appearing by the time 

 these are destroyed and possibly still another. By 

 this time the plants in the first hill will have grown 

 too large to be troubled by the insect. 



The cucumber is troubled by three very destruc- 

 tive diseases — the mildew, blight and in some sec- 

 tions the wilt. Frequent spraying with bordeaux 

 mixture, beginning as soon as the young plants are 

 well through the soil and continued at intervals of 

 ten days to two weeks up until almost harvesting 

 time will usually be found effective in controlling 

 all of these troubles. The power sprayer should be 

 employed upon the larger fields and especial pains 

 should be taken to, hit the under as well as the upper 

 sides of the leaves. Considerable added benefit has 

 been frequently observed by not only spraying the 

 whole plant thoroughly, but holding the nozzle close 

 to the hill until perhaps a quart of the spray ma- 

 terial has been directed around the stems well down 

 into the soils. This kills the larvae of the cucumber 

 beetle frequently found feeding upon the base of 

 the stem and serves the purpose of thorough disin- 

 fection, doubtless preventing the entrance of dis- 

 eased germs at this point. 



Many varieties of cucumbers are under cultiva- 

 tion, differing greatly in the size, shape and appear- 

 ance of the fruit and their adaptability to certain 

 particular uses. The most popular variety is the 

 White Spine. This variety and its various strains 

 are grown both in the field and under glass in this 

 country more extensively than all other forms com- 

 bined. Varieties especially valuable for pickling 

 are Chicago, Boston and Fordhook Pickling. The 

 several varieties of gherkin cucumbers are also ex- 

 tensively g^own for pickling purposes. 



