VINE CROP PROJECTS 161 



9. Companion cropping. — The cucumber is not extensively 

 grown as a companion crop with other vegetables. Perhaps the 

 bean is grown with it more generally than any other vegetable. 

 There may be advantages in doing this, for rows of bush beans 

 alternating with rows of cucumbers furnish considerable protec- 

 tion to the young cucumber plants. This vegetable is not only 

 injured or killed by frost, but it is greatly checked in growth by 

 cold winds. The beans grow very rapidly so that they soon make 

 quite an effective windbreak for the small cucumber plants. 

 Again, the beans will be harvested and the plants may be removed 

 before they interfere in any way with the development of the cu- 

 cumber crop. If there is more than a five-foot space between the 

 rows of cucumbers, it may be possible to intercrop with two rows 

 of bush beans. Sweet corn may also be grown between cucumbers, 

 and the partial shade seems to be favorable to the cucumbers. 



1. Do you fhink it would pay you to grow beans between the cucumher 



rows f 



2. Do you know of other crops that might be grown with the cucumher f 



10. Cultivating. — The cucumber should receive thorough 

 tillage. Some hoeing and hand weeding are generally necessary 

 in and about the hills. W : 68. 



1. What implements will you need to cultivate the cucumbers ? 



2. How often should the cucumbers be cultivated? 



11. Combating insects and diseases. — CL : 109-140. The cu- 

 curbits probably suffer from insects more than almost any other 

 group of plants. From the time the seed is planted until ma- 

 turity, the crop is continually threatened by insects, many of 

 which are very difficult to combat. In most instances only those 



