Vegetable Forcing in New York State 



L283 



so as to avoid checking the plants at any time, since the cucumber 

 plant never recovers from a check. 



Cucumbers are grown chiefly as a spring crop in New York 

 State. The Eochester growers sow the seed for their first crop 

 on the first of January. These plants go to the beds in early 

 March and start bearing mature fruit the early part of April. 



In New York State all growers with large houses train their 

 cucumbers on the overhead trellis system. It has been found that 

 with the Abundance variety of cucumber, a much higher yield can 

 be secured by this method of training than with the upright sys- 

 tem, although the plants do not come into bearing as early. 



Fig. 369. — Cucumbers Trained ox an Overhead Trellis 



With this system, each plant is given at least sixteen square 

 feet. The plants are taken to the overhead trellis by means of a 

 cord looped around the base of the plant, and tied to the top wire. 

 All the side-shoots or laterals are removed as soon as they develop. 

 As a rule, all the female flowers are also removed. As the plant 

 nears the overhead trellis, three or four laterals are left to develop 

 and these form the starting point for other laterals and sub- 

 laterals which will finally cover the trellis. As the leaves on the 

 main stem or on the trellis turn yellow, they are removed. The 



