194 MAKING HORTICULTURE PAY 



About a dozen seeds are planted in a ring at each 

 hill, and when the plants have become sturdy the 

 poorest ones are thinned out, leaving two to four 

 plants to the hill. Three is the usual number. 



For table use cucumbers are gathered while still 

 green, but almost full grown. For pickles some are 

 gathered when very small ; others when about 

 one-third to one-half grown. There is considerable 

 demand for the small size at pickle factories. For 

 pickling the beds should be gone over every two or 

 three days so the fruits will not be large. No 

 cucumbers should be allowed to go to seed in the 

 pickle field, because the plants immediately begin 

 to die off. If gathered frequently, young cucum- 

 bers can be secured until frost. Cucumbers are fre- 

 quently raised by the acre for pickle factories which 

 pay a stated price by weight or by number. 



For home use small cucumbers may be stored in 

 salt or salt brine as gathered. A common formula 

 is 7 pounds of salt to a bushel of cucumbers in a 

 brine. When packed in salt the cucumbers shrivel. 

 They can be freshened by soaking in water and 

 then putting in vinegar for making pickles. In this 

 way they can be kept for several months, but 

 usually they deteriorate during the spring following 

 harvest unless put in vinegar. Probably the best 

 known variety is the White Spine. 



CUCUMBERS ON LONG ISLAND 



According to the late C. L. Allen of Long Island, 

 " The soil that suits the cucumber best is a lively, 

 sandy loam, and the deeper the better. A light, 

 sandy soil, if shallow, or a heavy loam or clay, had 

 better be given up to some other crop. New soil 

 is usually considered the most desirable, and, if 



