ISO 
THE AMATEUR’S KITCHEN HARDEN. 
hers, and there the story ends. The other case is like it, but a 
gardener, having all his own way, was the acting hero. During 
the cold rainy days of June he kept his cucumber house quite 
close, being afraid of a chill. Very soon his grand vines that 
had been bearing abundantly, and were still young enough to 
continue fruitful, began to droop. We have just returned 
from an inspection ; we found the plant all through the house 
loaded with all the vermin the cucumber is heir to. Having, 
by means of elaborate cross-questioning and putting down 
verbal traps in several places, elicited the confession that now 
and then — but, oh dear, not often — the glass had gone up to a 
hundred or so, and it might be a little beyond, and perhaps 
once or twice to 150°, and — there the confusion becomes too 
hazy, and we conjecture on our own account that the figure 
might have reached 200° ; the end of it being that the plants 
were consigned to the rubbish heap. 
Selection of Varieties. — New varieties of cucumbers ap- 
pear periodically like meteors in the heavens, and a large 
proportion pass away almost as quickly and are not remem- 
bered. But occasionally a distinct and meritorious novelty 
appears, takes a permanent place in the lists, and acquires 
historical importance. The most useful are those of the Sion 
House type ; the fruits of which are of smallish growth, a fine 
dark green colour, very slightly ribbed, glossy, and without 
spines. For winter work these are the best of all, and for a 
paying crop in summer, it is no easy matter to supersede them. 
The one known as Rollisons Telegraph represents this race 
admirably, and is universally esteemed. But the Sion House 
type have no special beauty, and when large handsome fruits 
are required, Blue Gown and Daniel’s Duke of Edinburgh , 
may with great advantage be selected. Generally speaking, 
the black spined are the handsomest, being of a rich deep 
green colour, with a delicious bloom ; but white-spined cu- 
cumbers have their merits, and one of the finest of this section 
is Kirklees Hall Defiance. It is of importance to avoid all 
those varieties that tend to coarseness, they are altogether 
undesirable for the supply of the table ; they are not less dis- 
appointing when sent to an exhibition, for competent judges 
pay little heed to mere size in cucumbers, and will pass over 
many braces of monsters to favour smallish fruit well matched 
and finely finished. The larger the better within certain limits, 
but refinement of character is of the highest importance, and 
