CUCUMBER. 47 
edge; with one sweep of the hand the knife performs 
the operation, the cut pulp passing into a pail, from 
which it is emptied into a barrel placed conveniently 
in the field, to undergo fermentation. 
For larger fields, it will be necessary to expedite the 
removal of the seed pulp by the use of a machine. 
There are two kinds in general use, both constructed 
specially for extracting cucumber, melon and tomato 
seeds. One, run by horse-power, is fashioned so that 
fruit being poured into a hopper, is crushed between a 
revolving wooden roller and an adjustable crushing 
board, and then is passed into a long reet made of 
wire netting, which revolves and separates the seed. 
The other machine, which is run by steam power or 
by a gasoline motor, is called a Cucumber, Melon and 
Tomato Seed-separator. It is six feet long, and is 
operated by a crank on each side. The fruit is con- 
veyed by an elevator into a hopper, and thence to two 
revolving rollers, which crush it and pass it to a re- 
volving screen, four feet in length, having two canes on 
the end of a shaft forming a beater, which separates 
the seed. Under the screen, a pan is set to receive the 
seed as it falls. 
This latter machine will extract 1,000 pounds of 
cucumber seed ina day. When in use, it is mounted 
on a low wagon built with a platform. A two-horse 
steam engine is placed facing it at the front end. 
Drawn by two horses, the wagon makes the round of 
the field. Fourteen rows are taken ata time, six on 
one side, six on the other, the wagon going through the 
two rows between. These two rows are picked ahead 
of the wagon, far enough to bring the elevator of the 
machine even with the pickers on either side. Large 
tin pails are used for picking. Twelve men are kept 
