CHAPTER XVIII 
CUCUMBER 
History—The cucumber has been grown under glass 
in the United States since the earliest days of vegetable 
forcing. The largest plantations during the decade of 
1890 to 1900 were found in the Boston district, in which 
W. W. Rawson was the best-known grower. At first 
the long English type was cultivated, but American con- 
sumers have had a preference for the shorter cucumbers 
of the White Spine type, and the popularity of this class 
has been largely responsible for the development of the 
cucumber-forcing industry in other parts of the country, 
especially in the Central West. 
Importance.—It is impossible to give a very definite 
idea of the importance. of the cucumber as a forcing crop. 
In every vegetable-forcing district of the United States 
it occupies an important place. In the Boston district it 
ranks next to lettuce in commercial importance, and it is 
believed that it would rank second in importance if the 
entire country were considered. There is scarcely a large 
vegetable-forcing establishment anywhere in the United 
States that does not at some time or another grow cu- 
cumbers for market. If a crop requiring high tempera- 
tures is to be grown, either the cucumber or the tomato 
is generally selected. It is largely a matter of personal 
preference or of the demands of the markets to be sup- 
plied. See page 1 for more complete data regarding the 
history of vegetable forcing. 
Season of culture——The cucumber is a “warm” crop, 
which requires even higher temperatures than the tomato. 
Because of its demands for heat, this vegetable is most 
extensively grown as a spring crop. It generally follows 
lettuce, which occupies the beds until the arrival of bright, 
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