INVENTORY. 

 3774. Cucumis sativus. Cucumber. 



From Vienna, Austria. Received through Messrs. Lathrop and Fairchild 

 (No. 256), September 18, 1899. 

 "Moravian cucumber," a variety used extensively in Vienna for the manufac- 

 ture of the "Salz Gurken" or salt cucumbers which are a specialty of Vienna, 

 being made to perfection there. The fruits when full size, but before ripening, 

 are picked and packed in kegs. The skin is left intact and the cucumbers are 

 laid in layers with salt and wild cherry or some other aromatic leaves. A heavy 

 weight is placed on the cucumbers and they are left to ferment 14 days, after 

 which they are ready for the table. After peeling they are served as a side dish. 

 They are consumed in great quantities in Germany and Austria. These salt 

 cucumbers are also made and used in America, and growers will find this variety 

 valuable for this purpose. 



3776. Cucumis sativus. Cucumber. 



From Tetschen, Bohemia. Received through Messrs. Lathrop and Fair- 

 child (No. 242), September, 1899. 

 ' ' Langer Walzen " is considered the best cucumber of Bohemia. Many thous- 

 and pounds are shipped into Berlin and Dresden from this region, where the 

 cucumbers are used for salads and fermented to make " Sauer Gurken." 



3777. Solanum tuberosum. Potato. 



From Tetschen, Bohemia. Received through Messrs. Lathrop and Fair- 

 child (No. 241), September, 1899. 

 ' ' The black salad potato " said by the owner to have been imported seven 

 years ago from some place in Africa by Mr. Joseph Wenzel, the gardener of the 

 agricultural college at Tetschen, a breeder of potatoes, who imported six tubers. 

 He has been reproducing it and finds it very productive. The potato is dark 

 purple both inside and out, somewhat marbled but very showy as a salad potato. 

 The quality is said to be very good and it is considered valuable as a novelty. 

 (Distributed. ) 



3778. Cochlearia armoracea. Horse-radish. 



From Tetschen, Bohemia. Received through Messrs. Lathrop and Fair- 

 child (No. 250), September, 1899. 



The variety of horse-radish known in Germany and Austria as the "Maimer" 

 or "Maliner Kren" is considered superior to any other. It is grown to perfec- 

 tion in Kuttenberg, a small village southeast of Kolin in Bohemia, whence 

 large quantities are exported. It is distinguished by its unusually sharp pene- 

 trating taste, uniform shape, and excellent keeping qualities. 



A deep, loose, strong soil with plenty of moisture is best suited to the culture 

 of horse-radish. In autumn the soil is forked over to a depth of 2 or 2| feet and 

 well-rotted barnyard manure is thoroughly worked in to the depth of a foot or 

 more. A narrow bed, 3 feet wide, is prepared, and in late March or early April 

 the horse-radish cuttings are planted along both edges, alternating so that they 

 are not opposite each other across the bed. The cuttings are 12 inches long and 

 are set out 18 inches apart. Instead of being placed vertically in the ground 

 they are planted in an obliquely horizontal position, with the upper, larger end 

 covered by only three-quarters to 1 inch of earth, while the lower lies 3 to 4 

 inches deep. As a consequence of this slanting position, the new roots thrown 

 out from the lower side of the cutting, striking vertically downward, make 

 almost a right angle with the main stem, and it is these slender roots from which 

 the new cuttings for the next season's planting are made. 



During the summer the ground is kept free from weeds and the surface of the 

 soil lightly stirred. Toward the end of June the bed is gone over carefully and 

 each cutting uncovered separately and slightly raised out of the soil by hand. 

 Care is taken not to injure the perpendicular roots which have formed at its 

 lower end. All small rootlets are rubbed off from the body of the root with a 

 woolen cloth ; those that are too large to be removed in this manner being cut 

 close with a sharp knife. A small quantity of powdered charcoal is scattered 

 over the cut surfaces to prevent decay. The cutting is again covered with earth 

 as before. 



