VEGETABLE Forcing In New York State 12838 
so as to avoid checking the plants at any time, since the cucumber 
plant never recovers from a check. 
Cucumbers are grown chiefly as a spring crop in New York 
State. The Rochester growers sow the seed for their first crop 
on the first of January. These plants go to the beds in early 
March and start bearing mature fruit the early part of April. 
In New York State all growers with large houses train their 
cucumbers on the overhead trellis system. It has been found that 
with the Abundance variety of cucumber, a much higher yield can 
be secured by this method of training than with the upright sys- 
tem, although the plants do not come into bearing as early. 
Fic, 369.—CucuMBERS TRAINED ON AN OVERHEAD TRELLIS. 
With this system, each plant is given at least sixteen square 
feet. The plants are taken to the overhead trellis by means of a 
cord looped around the base of the plant, and tied to the top wire. 
All the side-shoots or laterals are removed as soon as they develop. 
As a rule, all the female flowers are also removed. As the plant 
nears the overhead trellis, three or four laterals are left to develop 
and these form the starting point for other laterals and sub- 
laterals which will finally cover the trellis. As the leaves on the 
main stem or on the trellis turn yellow, they are removed. The 
