THE CUCUMBER. 



327 



or the grower may make one as follows: — To 

 3 lbs. of nitrate of soda add 2 lbs. of muriate of 

 potash and 2 lbs. of superphosphate of lime, 

 about 2 ozs. of this for each plant being mixed 

 with the soil used for top-dressing, or 2 ozs. 

 may be dissolved in 3 gallons of warm water 

 and applied in that way. Peruvian guano is 

 a good change, using this at much the same 

 rates. 



Training and other cultural details need only 

 be further lightly touched upon. Instead of 

 topping the young plants as advised in the case 

 of frame cultivation, they ought to be early 

 planted out at about 2 feet apart, and trained 

 upright till the roof trellis is reached — all side 

 shoots below the latter being pinched out as fast 

 as they form. Some growers train the leader 

 straight up the trellis, not topping till the limit 

 is reached. Lateral branches are laid in thinly, 

 right and left, and topped at the second or third 

 joint of both laterals and sub-laterals. In this 

 way a very heavy crop of fruit soon forms, as 

 many as three or four forming at many of the 

 joints. 



Market - growers seldom cut off any small 

 fruit, but allow all to attain a saleable size. 

 Naturally this greatly exhausts the plants, and 

 the sub-laterals produced are not so strong, 

 and the fruit scarcer accordingly. Yet even 

 this ends in the production of what a private 

 gardener would consider a good crop. After 

 being once pruned hard back and another crop 

 obtained, it is not long before the plants are 

 rooted out and a fresh lot planted. This pays 

 better than keeping them cropping less heavily 

 for some time longer, though the latter course 

 may be desirable as far as the private grower 

 is concerned, who usually tops his plants when 

 the roof trellis is reached, and frequently after, 

 the haulm only gradually covering the roof. 

 Crowding the haulm should in all cases be 

 avoided, or otherwise the knife may have to 

 cut away many shoots that the finger and thumb 

 might well have pinched out earlier. 



Syringing. — A free use of the syringe is 

 desirable, especially during bright weather, the 

 plants receiving a thorough and rather forcible 

 wetting when the house is closed early in the 

 afternoon, and again moderately early the next 

 morning. If this fails to keep the foliage free 

 of insect pests, then it is advisable as a rule 

 to start more plants, and as soon as they can 

 be spared, to root out the old ones, as it is 

 very difficult to clean Cucumber plants if once 

 insects get the upper hand. In addition to 

 overhead syringings, frequent dampings down 



must also be given. As often as the atmosphere 

 feels dry, or the soil, paths, and walls give signs 

 of dryness, either syringe or damp down heavily. 

 If a hose is used, be careful not to overdo it, or 

 the soil may become saturated. Where little air 

 is given, a modification of what is known as the 

 " express system ", in which no air at all is ad- 

 mitted — this maintenance of a moist atmosphere 

 is most imperative. One hour's neglect may end 

 in the loss of much of the foliage by burning. 



Low temperatures are most injurious. Dur- 

 ing the night 70° is none too high, this being 

 gradually increased to 80° without air in the 

 daytime, and from 85° to 90° with, closing in 

 time to run the heat up to about 95°. See 

 also what has already been said with regard to 

 Ventilation and Shading. 



Winter Culture. — In many places Cucumbers 

 are wanted during the late autumn and winter 

 months, and if well-heated forcing-houses are 

 available, no great difficulty need be experienced 

 in producing them. They may be grown on 

 small mounds or ridges, or in pots. The latter 

 are preferable, not only for fruiting in autumn 

 and winter, but also for plants to be fruited 

 in February and March. In any case they do 

 not continue growing and fruiting during the 

 winter nearly so strongly as do those grown 

 with the aid of more sunshine, and in order to 

 be sure of a steady, continuous supply, fresh 

 plants ought to be raised to take the place of 

 those no longer profitable. If, then, seeds are 

 sown late in August or early in September, 

 a successional batch should be raised by sowing 

 more seeds early in September, and again a 

 month later. In each and every case a brisk 

 bottom -heat should be provided for hastening 

 germination, and also for maintaining a strong 

 growth in the young plants. 



From the small pots in which the plants are 

 raised, shift before they are root-bound, either 

 into 6-inch pots or into their fruiting quarters- - 

 using rich porous soil, previously warmed. Pots 

 varying from 12 inches to 16 inches in diameter 

 are suitable, and these in the first instance should 

 be only about three parts filled with compost, 

 with a view to leaving some room for future 

 top-dressings. Train uprightly, and pinch out 

 side shoots till the roof trellis is reached, after- 

 wards continuing the leader straight up the 

 roof, laying in side shoots thinly on both sides. 

 Stop the latter at the fourth joint, and do not 

 allow a very heavy crop of fruit to form at one 

 time. Rather more foliage should be left on 

 plants to fruit during the winter than is re- 

 quired when the days are longer and there is 



