D. JI. FEBBY & CO'S DESCEIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 31 



Culture. — The plants are tender, and planting should 

 be delayed until settled warm weather, or ample facili- 

 ties should be provided for protecting them from frosts 

 and during cold storms. Form low, flat hills six feet 

 apart each way, of rich soil, by mixing in a quantity of 

 thoroughly decomposed manure, stirring the soil to 

 a depth of sixteen inches or more; or open shallow 

 trenches six to eight feet apart and mix with the bot- 

 tom earth a quantity of similar manure and replace 

 the surface soil. Scatter on each hill fifteen or twenty 

 seeds, or one every inch along the rows, and cover 

 one inch deep, pressing the soil firmly over them. 



As soon as the plants are up, they will be liable to 

 attack by the striped cucumber beetle. These may be 

 kept off by frequent dusting with air-slacked lime, soot, 

 or sifted ashes diluted with fine road earth ; care should 

 be taken not to use too much, for if too strong any of 

 the above materials will kill the vines. When the plants 

 are well established, thin to three plants to each hill. 

 In gathering, pick all the fruit before it begins to ripen, 

 as the vines will cease setting fruit as soon as any seed 

 commences to mature. In field culture, plow furrows 

 four feet apart across the field, and similar ones, but 

 omitting ever}' fourth furrow, at right angles to the first; 

 this will form paths for the distribution of manure and 

 the gathering of the fruit. At each intersection drop a 

 shovelful or more of -well rotted manure, which should 

 be well mixed with the soil, so as to form a low, flat hill. 

 In gathering for pickles, cut the stem, instead of pulling 

 the fruit off, and be careful not to mar the fruit in any 

 way, for if the skin is broken the pickles will not keep. 



Early Russian. — Earliest and hardiest. Vines vigor- 

 ous and productive. Fruit three to four inches long, small, 

 oval, pointed at each end, covered with fine small spines. 



EarlyCluster. — Vines vigorous, producing the bulk of 

 the crop near the root and in clusters. Fruit short, hold- 

 ing full size to each end, dark green but paler at blossom 

 end. Good for table use, but not adapted to pickling. 



Early Short Green, or Early Frame. 



Early Short Green, or Early Frame.— Plants 

 very vigorous and productive. Fruit straight, hand- 

 some, smaller at each end, bright green, lighter at the 

 blossom end, with crisp, tender flesh, and when young, 

 makes excellent pickles. 



There are a number of different strains of pickling 

 cucumbers, each of which has distinct merit and is pop- 



Chicago, or Westerfield Pickling. — Very pop- 

 ular with Chicago market gardeners, and extensively 

 grown in that vicinity. Fruit medium length, pointed 

 at each end, with very large and prominent spines; color 

 deep green. 



Jersey Pickling. 



Jersey Pickling. — Very popular in New Jersey. 

 Intermediate between the Long and Short Green, form- 

 ing a long, slender, cylindrical pickle, which is very 

 crisp and tender. 



D. M. Ferry & Co's Perfection Pickling.— This 

 variety is not only the best for pickles, but is one of the 

 best for the table. Vines vigorous, producing their fruit 



D. M. Ferry & Co'S Perfection Pickling. 



early and very abundantly; fruit distinctly three sided, 

 tapering towards each end, of dark green color, which 

 they retain as pickles; flesh very crisp and tender. 



Boston Pickling, or Green Prolific— A distinct 

 variety very popular for pickles. Fruit short, nearly 

 cylindrical, but pointed at each end, bright green, and 

 a great producer. 



Nichols' Medium Green.— A new variety, the 



Nichols' Medium Green. 



result of careful selection. Fruit of medium length, 

 nearly cylindrical, very uniform in shape, and of good 

 color when young, but becomes yellow and bitter at an 

 earlier stage than most, and not at all suited for forcing 

 or early planting. 



Early White Spine.— One of the best sorts for table 



Chicago Pickling. 



ular in some section. We offer carefully grown stocks 

 of the following: 



