46 THE SEED-GROWER. 
Any soil considered good for corn will answer for 
cucumber. In the Middle and Western States, seed is 
sown about June Ist. It is planted in hills three feet 
apart each way, ten to fifteen seeds to a hill, thinning 
to three or four plants in a hill when they are about six 
inches in height. Cultivate continuously and keep free 
from weeds. The hoe may be used for this purpose 
after the vines run out. 
To Save Seeds for Private Use or Stock-Seed — 
Select the earliest and handsomest fruit possessing dis- 
tinctness of variety. 
Harvest and Cleaning.—Harvest is dependent upon 
maturity of the crop and time of frost. The usual 
period in northern sections is from September 15th to 
October Ist. In case a severe frost occurs, the crop 
must be gathered at once, otherwise fruit may rot from 
effect of the frost. Seed is considered fully ripe when 
fruit has changed color entirely, showing not even a 
tinge of green; when gathering, reject fruit which is not 
characteristic of the variety. 
Taking out seed: in simple practice, the cucumbers 
may be sliced lengthwise and seeds scraped out into a 
bucket or a tub, and then poured into a tight barrel, to 
undergo fermentation, which is to release the mucil- 
Jaginous covering from the seeds. 
When the field is two or three acres in extent, slicing 
may be done by using an upright knife set in the bot- 
tom of a small wooden trough held in place by a cross- 
piece, This trough may be mounted ona bench. The 
cucumbers are laid in it one at a time, and sliced open 
by being forced against the knife by a wooden plunger 
fitted to the inside of the trough. The split fruit is 
allowed to fall into a tuborabox. Seed is then removed 
by using a small circular iron knife sharpened on one 
