Book L 



CULTURE OF THE CUCUMBER. 



569 



branch of this kind, within the space of ten Inches. In training, the ends of all the shoots have been 

 made, as far as practicable, to point downwards." {Hort. Trans, iv. 202.) 



3163. For various opinions and practices in pruning and training the fig in the open 

 air, which may also deserve attention in the forcing department, see the Horticultural 

 Catalogue. 



Sect. VI. Of the Culture and Forcing of the Cucumber. 



3164. To produce cucumbers at an earli/ season, is an object of emulation with every 

 gardener ; and there is scarcely any person, not even the humblest tradesman, as M'Phail 

 observes, who has not his cucumber-bed in his garden. We shall follow our usual plan, 

 and lay before the reader a systematic view of the practices of the most approved gar- 

 deners in the culture of this plant. Cucumbers are forced in hot-beds, pits, and hot- 

 houses ; and the heat of fire, and steam, and dung, have been applied to their culture ; 

 but dung, as the author last quoted observes, is the only thing yet found out, by the heat 

 of which the cucumber may be advantageously cultivated. 



3165. Soil. Cucumbers, like every other plant, will grow in any soil, though not with 

 the same degree of vigor, provided they be supplied with a sufficiency of heat, light, 

 water, and air. 



3166. Abeixrombie, for early forcings recommends a mould or compost of the following materials : — 

 " One third of rich top-spit earth, from an upland pasture, one half of vegetable mould, and one sixth 

 of well decomposed horse-dung, with a small quantity of sand." 



3167. M'Phail used vegetable mould, made from a mixture (accidental) of the leaves of " elm, lime, 

 beech, sycamore, horse and sweet chestnut, spi-uce and Scotch fir, walnut, laurel, oak, evergreen oak, 

 ash, &c." and among them withered grass, and weeds of various sorts. " This vegetable mould," he 

 says, " without a mixture of any thing besides, is what 1 used for growing cucumbers in, and, by ex- 

 perience, I found it preferable to any other moulds, earths, or composts whatever, either in my new 

 method of a brick bod, or in the old method of a bed made of hot dung." 



3168. Nicol says, soil thus composed will produce cucumbers in great abundance : " Three fourths light, 

 rich, black earth from a pasture, an eighth part vegetable mould of decayed tree leaves, and an eighth 

 part rotten cow-dung." {Kal. p. 393.) 



3169. Alton gives the following as the compost used in the Kew-garden : " Of light loam, a few 

 months from the common, one third part ; the best rotten dung, one third part ; leaf-mould and heath- 

 earth, of equal parts, making together one third part : the whole well mixed for use." {Hort. Trans. 

 vol.ii. p. 282.) 



3170. Mills {Ho7-i. Trans, vol. iii. p. 148.) states, that the soil he uses " is half bog or black mould, 

 got from a dry heathy common, and half leaf-mould ; after lying twelve months in a heap, the compost 

 is fit for use." 



3171. Time of beginning to force. Abercrombie says, " Managers who have to pro- 

 vide against demands for early cucumbers, must raise the seedlings from twelve to ten 

 weeks before the fruit will be required, according to the length of the days in the interval. 

 In proportion as the entire course embraces a greater part of midwinter, the liability of 

 failure from obstacles in the weather will be greater. The last fortnight in January, or 

 first week of February, is a good time for beginning to force the most early crop. In 

 the subsequent months, both main and secondary crops may be started as required ; and 

 will come forward more freely. To have a constant succession, seedlings should be 

 originated twice a-month. As the course of forcing more coincides with the natural 

 growing season, the length of it will be reduced to eight, seven, or six weeks." 



3172. M'Phail says, " Those who are desirous of having cucumbers early, had best sow the seeds about 

 the 20th of October ; they may be sown at any time of the year, but the spring and autumn are the best 

 seasons. Cucumber-i)lants may be made to bear fruit plentifully from about the middle of March till the 

 middle of September ; but from the middle of September till the middle of March their produce will be 

 but scanty. Cucumber-plants raised from seed in October, will begin to produce fruit in February or 

 March, and will continue to bear till the following month of October, provided they be kept in frames, 

 and get plenty of heat and water." 



3173. Nicol recommends the middle of January. He says, " Some begin sooner, but it is striving hard 

 against the stream to little purpose. If the dung be prepared, and the bed be got ready, so as to sow about 

 the 1st of February, the success will often be greater than by sowing a month earlier ; the growth of the 

 plants being frequently checked by bad weather, and sometimes they are entirely lost." 



3174. Aiton, in the paper above quoted, sowed on the 12th and 20th of August, with a view to cultivate 

 in stoves ; a regular supply of this vegetable being annually required for the royal tables. 



3175. Mills sows on the 14th of October. 



3176. Sorts. Abercrombie recommends " the short prickly for very early fruit ; and 

 the long prickly kinds for the chief early and main summer crops." M'Phail prefers 

 " the green cucumber with black prickles, as best for forcing. When fit for table, it runs 

 from six to nine inches long, and, when ripe, runs to about eighteen or twenty inches 

 long." Nicol says, " Every gardener has his favorite sort of cucumber, and it is no 

 easy matter to advise. He names, as early sorts generally known, the early short 

 prickly as the earliest ; the early smooth green, a long fruit ; the long green prickly, 

 and the white prickly, a white fruit." Aiton and Mills do not mention the varieties 

 they used. 



3177. Choice of seed. " It is advisable," Abercrombie observes, " to Iiave that from 

 two at least to four years old, in preference to newer seed, which is m^ re apt to run 

 luxuriantly in vine, and the plants from it do not show fruit so soon, nor so abundantly 

 as those from seed of a greater age. But when seed has been kept more than four 

 years, it is sometimes found to be too much weakened." 



