I). M. FERRY <f CO’S DESCRIPTIVE 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 every 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 iveil rotted manure, which should 
be 7 veil tnijetd 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. 
Early Cluster.—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 arc 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: 
Early White Spine. 
