CUCUMBERS 



99 



Green Prickley were, however, consistently shorter and 

 distinctly smoother skinned. Present day stocks of 

 Early Frame are similar to Early Cluster. The fruits 

 are 1-2 inches shorter, more tri-angular in cross-section 

 and considerably darker green in color. 



Fruit moderately short and medium plump, 6-7 x 2 ' t — 2 ' _• 

 inches. Shape short oval, straight; base rounded, slightly smaller 

 at medial, tapering to a rounded apex; depressions maiked. Cross- 

 section moderately circular at base, triangular at medial and apex. 

 Color moderately dark green, tinted greenish white at apex; tip 

 stripes prominent, extending one-third to one-half the length of the 

 fruit. Tubercles moderately few, prominent. Spines black. Flesh 

 medium thick, greenish white in color. Seed mass medium large 

 with small triangular cavity at center. Mature fruits deep russet 

 and often slightly netted. 



Early Russian. Refs. 3, 8, 9, 12, 16, 18, 19, 21, 53, 56, 



57, 58, 62, 64, 72, 73, 75, 82. Syns. Borowskian, 



Early Russian Gherkin, Extra Early Russian, 



Improved Early Russian, Muromian, Muromian 



Gherkin, Russian, Russian Gherkin, Russian 



Shortish Green, Russian Small Early Pickling, 



Small Early Russian. 



The United States Patent Office Report for 1854 



states that Early Russian was " recently introduced 



from Europe." This agrees with lists which were in 



use at that time (Hovey & Co., 1859) and also with Burr 



who in 1863 wrote: This comparatively new variety 



resembles, in some respects, the Early Cluster. J. C. 



Robinson Co. say, " Early Russian is the smallest 



cucumber we grow, extremely early and amazingly 



productive. It is of little use except for small uniform 



pickles, but in districts where the late maturing kinds 



will not ripen this cucumber is popular." 



Fruit very short and slender, S 1 ^-^ x l 3 4 -2 inches. Shape 

 cylindrical, straight, very short oval; base and apex rounded; 

 medial even. Cross-section nearly circular at the base, and slightly 

 triangular at the medial and apex. Color moderately light green, 

 tinted with yellowish white at the apex; tip stripes moderately nar- 

 row, prominent, and extend one-third the length of the fruit. 

 Tubercles moderately many, rather obscure. Spines black. Flesh 

 thin, fine texture, greenish white in color. Seed mass large, solid. 



Pickles short oval, almost cylindrical; base rounded, apex 

 abruptly tapered; ridges obscure, depressions absent. Cross- 

 section nearly circular. Color light green, uniformly distributed. 



Early Short Prickley. Refs. 7, 9, 15, 46. Syns. Early 

 Short Green Prickley, Short Prickley, Short Green 

 Prickley. 



The variety name Short Green Prickley occurs in 

 Mawe and Abercrombie, 1778, with a short description 

 as follows: "A short fruit three or four inches long, 

 the rind rather smooth and set with small black prickles ; 

 is valuable principally for being one of the hardiest and 

 early sorts." This description agrees with the many 

 that were published in trade lists during the next 

 century. 



Early Short White Prickley was considered a white- 

 spined strain of Early Short Prickley. 



Early White. Refs. 19, 58, 73. 



Early White was described in the New York Agri- 

 cultural Experiment Station Annual report for 1887. 

 There were many introductions of white cucumbers, and 



whether this particular one became the foundation stock 

 for some of the later well-known white sorts is not known. 



Fruit medium long and moderately plump, 8-9 x 2 ' £-3 inches. 

 Shape oblong cylindrical, straight. Cross-section somewhat tri- 

 angular. Color greenish white, becoming almost pure white at 

 full maturity. Spines white. 



Early White Spine. Refs. 3, 8, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 



19, 21, 25, 29, 34, 35, 39, 48, 55, 57, 59, 61, 62, 

 72, 73, 75, 79, 80, 81. Syns. Chicago, Extraordi- 

 nary White Spine, Famous Peerless, Monarch, 

 Monarch White Spine, Peerless, Peerless Improved 

 White Spine, Peerless White Spine, Prolific White 

 Spine, Special White Spine, Success, Unexcelled 

 White Spine, White Spine. 

 The earliest names used for cucumbers seem to 

 have been chosen for their descriptive value. The 

 spines on the fruits attracted attention and among the 

 very earliest names used were Short Prickley, Long 

 Green Prickley and White Spined (McMahon 1806'. 

 Some years later the name White Spine, (Thorburn, 1824, 

 Hovey, 1834) was used. At first White Spine undoubt- 

 edly referred to a rather definite type. Later the term 

 White Spine was used in conjunction with other names as 

 Early White Spine, Arlington White Spine, Prolific 

 White Spine, etc. White Spine, used alone, disappeared, 

 and the name Early White Spine came to be used 

 to designate the variety. 



Arlington White Spine became even better known 

 than Early White Spine but represented a somewhat 

 different type. A number of carefully selected strains 

 of Early White Spine were offered from time to time. 

 The better known of these were Early Forcing White 

 Spine and Forcing White Spine. 



Fruit medium long and medium plump, 7-8 x 2 1 4-2 3 4 inches. 

 Shape somewhat cylindrical, straight; base rounded, medial slightly 

 swollen, apex abruptly tapered to rounded. Cross-section nearly 

 circular at base, triangular at medial and apex. Color light green, 

 tinted greenish white at apex; tip stripes moderately broad, rather 

 prominent, extending one-third or more the length of the fruit. 

 Tubercles moderately few, rather obscure. Spines white. Flesh 

 medium thick, greenish white in color. 



Mature fruits lose color rapidly and become greenish white 

 to almost clear white at full maturity. 



Early Yellow Dutch. Refs. 16, 19, 58. 



This is a continental type which was described by 

 Vilmorin and grown in the Geneva trials from 1884 to 

 1887. It was of little if any significance to American 

 gardeners, and was supposed to be larger and later than 

 Early Russian and apparently well adapted for forcing 

 in Europe. 



Fruit medium long and medium plump, 8-9 x 2 } 5-3 inches. 

 Shape oblong oval to cylindrical, rather uneven, often curved, 

 slightly furrowed. Cross-section slightly triangular except at 

 the base. Color greenish white, which at full maturity becomes 

 rich yellow to orange. Tubercles moderately many, rather promi- 

 nent. Spines black. Flesh thick, greenish white in color, crisp. 



Emerald. Refs. 3, 20, 57, 61, 65, 75. Syns. Emerald 



Green White Spine, Florida Emerald, Florida 



Green. 



The factor of desirable and long-holding color has 



i been one of great concern to cucumber growers. One 



