185 VINE OR 
CUCURBITOUS CROPS 
after the other. Spade up the ground loosely 
for a space of a square foot or two, and mix 
light, loose earth or barnyard scrapings with it 
to make the hill. It is well to add a handful of 
fertilizer to the earth; but if it seems cold and 
hard, remove it altogether and replace it by 
light, warm soil. Of course in the warm, light 
soils of the South this is not necessary. 
CUCUMBER AND GHERKIN. 
There are almost no special directions for 
growing cucumbers if the general directions for 
all vine crops are carefully followed. Cucum- 
bers are planted in hills, usually four by four 
feet apart, though for the large, late varieties 
they may be as far as four by six feet apart. 
An acre contains 2722 hills when the distance is 
four by four feet, and it requires two pounds of 
seed to plant an acre, or one ounce to 70 or 80 
hills. That will allow four or five plants to a 
hill. Remember to plant freely if the striped 
beetle is at work near your patch. 
As cucumbers are eaten when young, it helps 
the yield immensely if each fruit is picked as 
soon as it reaches the table state. You should 
go over the entire patch every two or three days 
at least, to see that no fruit is ripening at the 
expense of the growth of its little brothers on 
