Book I. 



CULTURE OF THE CUCUMBER. 



57.5 



the runner is disclosed at the base of the second rough leaf, it rnay be cut off or picked 

 out, or, if the runner has already started, it may be pinched oft' close. This is called 

 stopping at the first joint, and is necessary to promote a stronger stocky growth, and an 

 emission of fruitful laterals ; and from these, other prolific runners will be successively 

 produced. The vines, without the process of stopping, would generally be both weaker, 

 and so deficient in fertile runners, that they would sometimes extend two or three 

 feet without showing fruit. When plants which have been once stopped, have extended 

 the first runners to three joints without showing fruit, they are to he again stopped for 

 the purpose of strengthening the plant, and disposing it for bearing. As fertile run- 

 ners extend, train them out regularly along the surface, fastening them down neatly with 

 pegs." 



3228. M^Phail stops his plants when they have two joints ; and "when the plants shoot forth again after 

 the second stopping, they seldom miss to show fruit at every joint, and also a tendril; and between this 

 tendril and the showing fruit may clearly be seen the rudiment of another shoot ; and when the leading 

 shoot has extended itself fairly past the showing fruit, then with the finger and thumb pinch it and the 

 tendril olF just before the showing fruit ; so that in pinching off the tendril and the shoot, the showing 

 fruit is not injured. Thus stopping the leading shoot stops the juices of the plant, and is the means of 

 enabling the next shoot (the rudiment of which was apparent when the leading shoot was stopped) to push 

 vigorously, and the fruit thereby also receives benefit. When the plants are come into bearing, if the 

 vines are suffered to make two joints before they are stopped, at the first of these joints, as I before said, 

 will be seen showing fruit, a tendril, and the rudiment of a shoot ; but at the second joint there is seldom 

 to be seen either showing fruit or the rudiment of a shoot, but only a tendril and the rudiments of male 

 blossoms. It is therefore evident, and but reasonable, that the shoot should be stopped at the first of these 

 joints ; for were the shoot to be let run past the first joint, and stopped before the second, perhaps no shoot 

 would ever spring forth at the said second joint, but only a cluster of male blossoms or leaves, which would 

 serve for no good pui-pose, but would rather exhaust the juices of the plant, which ought to be thrown 

 into the productive parts of it. If the plants are suffered to bear too many fruit, that will weaken them, 

 and in such case some of the shoots will lose their leaders, that is, the rudiment of some of the shoots will 

 not break forth, the numbers of fruit having deprived them of their proper share of the vegetative juices. 

 The rudiments of some of the shoots may also be injured by accident, which sometimes prevents their 

 pushing ; but from whatever cause this happens, it matters not; for by the losing of its leader the shoot 

 is rendered unfruitful, and therefore should be cut entirely off. In the course of the spring and summer 

 months several shoots break forth here and there from the old ones. When too many break out, cut off 

 the weakest of them close to the old shoots, and those which remain with regard to stopping, serve nea»ly 

 in the same manner as young plants. If the old shoot from which the new one bursts forth, lie close to 

 the mould, it sometimes sends forth roots from the same joint from which the young shoot proceeded, by 

 which the young shoot is much invigorated, and the old plant, in some measure, renovated. When this 

 young plant is fairly formed on the old shoot, it somewhat resembles a young plant formed and struck root 

 on a strawberry runner ; and if the shoot were to be cut off on each side of the newly formed plant, and no 

 part of the plants left in the frame but itself, by proper treatment it would soon extend itself all over the 

 frame. In winter, when the plants are young, and before they come into bearing, it sometimes happens 

 that they send forth too many shoots : in that case cut the weakest of them off, not suffering them to be- 

 come crowded and thick of vines, for that would weaken and prevent the plants from bearing so early as 

 tliey ought to do. Keep the leaves of the plants always regularly thin. The oldest and worst of them 

 cut off first, and cut them off close to the snoot on which they grow. This is necessary and right ; for if 

 any part of the stem of the leaf were to be left, it would soon putrify and rot, and perhaps destroy by damp 

 the main branch from which it proceeded." 



3229. Nicol says, " Cucumber-plants will put out runners or vines, whether the heart-buds be picked 

 out or not, which is a matter of trivial concern, although much insisted on by some, as being necessary 

 to their doing so at all. For my own part, I never could discover any difference, and I have repeatedly 

 made the comparison in the same bed, which otherwise of course could not be fair. When the vines have 

 grown to the length of four or five joints, and fruit appear on them, they may be stopped at one joint above 

 the fruit ; but otherwise they may be allowed to run to the length of seven or eight joints, and may then 

 be stopped, which will generally cause them to push fertile shoots. These should be regularly spread out, 

 and be trained at the distance of eight or ten inches part." 



3230. Upright training. " Cucumber-plants being climbers by means of their ten- 

 drils, some branchy sticks being placed to any advancing runners, they will ascend and 

 produce fruit, at a distance from the ground, of a clean growth free from spots, and 

 well flavored." 



3231. Setting the fruit. " The cucumber," Abercrombie observes, " bears male and 

 female blossoms distinctly on the same plant. The latter only produce the fruit, which 

 appears first in miniature, close under the base, even before the flower expands. There 

 is never any in the males ; but these are placed in the vicinity of the females, and are 

 absolutely necessary, by the dispersion of their farina, to impregnate the female blossom ; 

 the fruit of which will not otherwise swell to its full size, and the seeds will be abortive. 

 The early plants under glass, not having the full current of the natural air, nor the as- 

 sistance of bees and other winged insects to convey the farina, the artificial aid of the 

 cultivator is necessary to effect the impregnation. At the time of fructification, watch the 

 plants daily ; and as soon as a female flower and some male blossoms are fully expanded, 

 proceed to set the fruit the same day, or next morning at furthest. Take oflf a male 

 blossom ; detaching it with part of the footstalk. Hold this between the finger and 

 thumb ; pull away the flower-leaf close to the stamens and anthera or central part, which 

 apply close to the stigma or bosom of the female flower, twirling it a little about, to dis- 

 charge thereon some particles of the fertilising powder. Proceed thus to set eveiy fruit, 

 as the flowers of both sorts open, while of a lively full expansion ; and generally perform 

 it in the early part of the day ; using a fresh male, if possible, for each impregnation, as 

 tlie males are usually more abundant than the female blossoms. In consequence, the 

 young fruit will soon be observed to swell freely. Cucumlbers attain the proper size for 



