VEGETABLES — DESCRIPTION A.ND CULTUEE. 225 



with tepid water, about noon, unless in mild days, when 

 it may be done in the morning. 



Liquid manure, especially guano water, is very bene- 

 ficial. In planting in the bed for fruiting, do not break 

 the ball of earth ; take them out of the pots carefully at 

 night, water gently, keep the sash down the next day, and 

 shade at noon-day, to keep them from withering. It is 

 necessary the beds should be shaded with a mat, during 

 the middle of the day, when the sashes are kept down, 

 until the plants get well established. 



Stopping in the frame is still more important than in the 

 open air. The temperature now must be kept between 

 70° and 90°, by external coatings of fresh dung, if neces- 

 sary. The shoots must be trained regularly over the sur- 

 face of the bed. Leave only two or three main branches 

 to each plant, removing the others as they appear. If the 

 plants that have been stopped have extended their runners 

 three joints without showing fruit, they must be stopped 

 again. The vines should blossom in a month from the 

 time of planting. Impregnate the pistillate or female 

 blossom (which may be known by its having fruit attach- 

 ed,) by taking the staminate blossom and placing its cen- 

 tre within that of the pistillate blossom. They may be 

 gathered in about two weeks after impregnation. Three 

 plants are sufficient for one sash of the usual size. 



For Seed. — Choose some of the finest fruit of each va- 

 riety growing near the root. Do not raise the plants near 

 other varieties, or the seed will mix and deteriorate. Let 

 them remain until they turn yellow, and the footstalk 

 withers ; cut them off and keep in the sun until they be- 

 gin to decay; then wash the seed from the pulp, and 

 spread it out to dry. It will keep eight or ten years, and 

 is even better when three or four years old, as the plants 

 are less luxuriant and more productive. 



Use. — Cucumbers are a very popular, but not very 

 wholesome vegetable. They are of a cold, watery nature, 

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