THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 197 



to 400,000 an acre. They usually bring $1.50 a 

 1,000. Some years they bring double that. To get 

 $600 from an acre one must work. He can afford 

 to. A man must go over his field of cucumbers 

 early every morning regardless of the weather, or 

 some will get too large. The picklers do not like 

 this. But more than that, if they grow too large 

 and begin to turn whitish or yellow, the plants will 

 think the object of reproduction has been accom- 

 plished and will cease bearing. On the other hand, 

 if cucumbers are kept constantly cut when small, 

 the vines will continue to bear for a longer period." 



CUCUMBERS FOR PICKLING 



As to gathering and pickling cucumbers, H. E. 

 Colby of Iowa writes : " The cucumber harvest 

 begins about August 1 and continues until the frost 

 destroys the vines, usually about October 1. Dur- 

 ing the greater part of this time the entire field 

 must be picked each day or two. The cucumbers 

 are gathered into small crates, each one holding 

 about two pecks. These crates are loaded into the 

 wagons and taken to the pickle factories. The 

 picking should not be done during the heated part 

 of the day, if it is possible to avoid it, because if the 

 vines are disturbed at that time they have a ten- 

 dency to wilt, thus injuring the yield and the fruit. 



" The fruit is graded according to size, the smaller 

 ones being the more choice. Anything under 3 or 

 4 inches in length is classed as first grade. These 

 bring the best price, and are used for choice bottle 

 pickles, and for the higher grade bulk pickles. The 

 choicest of the first grade are slender and average 

 about 1 or 2 inches in length. The larger ones, 

 those over 4 inches, such as are used for dill 

 pickles, are second grade and bring a smaller price. 



