THE CUCUMBER. 267 



INSECTS. 



Thrips and red-spider are very apt to be troublesome 

 on winter cucumbers, and their first appearance must 

 be the signal for their destruction. See directions for 

 destroying these insects at close of chapter on Melons. 



DISEASES. 



The cucumber-plant is subject to mildew when grown 

 in too low a temperature and kept too wet or too dry at 

 the root. Whenever it appears, dust the affected parts 

 with sulphur. Keep the bottom and top heat up to 

 what I have recommended, and give air freely; under 

 such conditions it will disappear. Gumming and canker, 

 with which they are sometimes affected, is caused by the 

 want of sufficient bottom-heat and over- watering. When- 

 ever it appears on the fruit or plants, raise the bottom- 

 heat, and apply less water both at the root and in the 

 air, and dust the affected parts with newly-slacked lime. 

 In such houses as I have recommended, and with atten- 

 tion to the heat and watering, neither of these diseases 

 is likely to attack the plants. Deformed fruit are 

 often seen on cucumbers. They are the result of general 

 debility, and a sure sign that the plants are not suffici- 

 ently nourished, and that the temperature has been too 

 low. To prevent malformed fruits, do not crop too 

 heavily, top-dress the soil with rotten dung, and keep 

 the temperature in the soil and air as has been directed. 



