CUCUMBER 303 
commonly known as 
the English (Pig. 99) 
and the American (Fig. 
100). The English va- 
ricties are seldom 
grown out of doors. 
While they possess 
special merit in some 
respects for forcing, 
they have not met with 
general favor in this 
country. The quality 
of the fruit does not 
seem to appeal to our 
consumers. The plants 
are thrifty in growth; 
they develop thick 
stems and large leaves 
and are exceedingly 
prolific. The fruits vary 
in length from a foot to ; Fig. 100. 
= Good specimens of White Spine cucumber. 
2 feet or more, and in- 
dividual specimens have been grown which weighed over 
10 pounds, though this is more than double the size of 
normal English cucumbers. The green, cylindrical fruits 
contain few seeds. The American type, best represented 
by White Spine, is extensively grown in nearly all of our 
vegetable-forcing establishments. The plants are vigor- 
ous in growth, though not equal in this respect to those 
of the English class. The length of typical fruits is usu- 
ally about three times their thickness, but the fruits of 
the various strains show marked variation in this par- 
ticular. 
English varieties—The Telegraph, shown by the long- 
est specimen in Fig. 101, is the best known and the most 
largely cultivated of the English varieties in this country. 
