THE CUCUMBER. 



329 



plants free of weeds no other cultural details 

 are needed. 



Gherkins. — A small sort of Cucumber, grown 

 for pickling, is now also frequently grown on 

 ridges instead of being raised under glass and 

 planted out as heretofore. The French growers 

 top the plants beyond the third leaf, the result- 

 ing growths spreading and cropping freely. 



Insects, &c. — See chapter on this subject. 



Leaf Enemies. — Green-fly, Red Spider. Root 

 Enemies. — Nematoid Worms. 



Varieties. — The varieties of Cucumbers to be 

 found in seedsmen's lists are extremely numer- 

 ous, and many more exist in gardens throughout 

 the country, where they are esteemed on account 

 of their real or supposed superiority in size, pro- 

 ductiveness, and flavour. A trial of 1 18 varieties 

 was made at Chiswick in the year 1861 by the 

 Fruit Committee of the Royal Horticultural 

 Society, and the results were reported in the 

 Proceedings of the Society for 1862. They were 

 grouped in two classes, one distinguished by the 

 fruit being of a bright-green colour, destitute of 

 glaucescence or bloom, as well as of mammilla? 

 or warts, and never furrowed and ribbed ; the 

 other distinguished by the fruit being covered 

 with a thick glaucous bloom, and by having the 

 surface set with mammilla? surmounted with 

 spines, which are either black, white tipped with 

 black, or white. The 118 were reduced to 15, 

 as being all that were necessary for furnishing 

 every quality and requirement. Since that 

 date many more novelties have been added 

 to the lists, all being more or less distinct 

 improvements on the older sorts they have 

 replaced. The two classes above alluded to 

 have become inextricably mixed, and the varie- 

 ties most popular, say, in 1901 will, in their 

 turn, give place to others. A selection of 

 twelve varieties for growing under glass, and 

 four for ridge culture, is here given. 



For House and Frame Culture. 



Beckett's Victory. — Fruit 18 inches to 24 inches in 

 length, of good form, few spines, dark-green in colour, 

 carrying a good bloom; quality superior. Plant robust 

 and free bearing. Fine for exhibition. 



Cardiff Castle. — Fruit 12 inches to 15 inches in length, 

 thick, straight, and handsome; quality superior. Plant 

 vigorous and productive. An excellent variety for the 

 winter crops. 



Everyday. — Raised in the Royal Gardens, Windsor. 

 Sets fruit freely at all seasons of the year, hence the 

 name. The plant has an excellent constitution, fruit of 

 good length, deep-green in colour, almost smooth, and 

 very attractive in appearance. 



Froymore Prolific. — Fruit of medium length, perfect in 

 form, colour, and quality. Moderately strong grower, 

 and very productive. 



Lockie's Perfection.— Fruit 12 inches to 15 inches in 

 length, somewhat thick, smooth, perfectly straight, short 

 neck; quality good. Plant fairly robust, and a good 

 cropper. Succeeds well in frames, and is occasionally 

 grown for market. 



Lord Roberts. — A cross between Telegraph and Prize- 

 winner. May be described as a superior and darker form 



Fig. 1105.— Cucumber— Matchless. 



of Telegraph, and the fruit retains its excellent colour for 

 some time after being cut — a great advantage where Cu- 

 cumbers are required for market. Its prolific habit may 

 be judged from the illustration (fig. 1104), taken from a 

 photograph supplied by Messrs. Sutton & Sons, Reading. 

 Matchless (fig. 1105). — Fruit 18 inches to 24 inches in 



