632 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
June 1, i8y5. 
HINTS FOR AMATEURS. 
The Cucumber. 
It is very true that during the summer season 
Cucumbers may be obtained in the market at a fairly 
reasonable price, which brings them well within the 
reach of most, and on this account many amateurs 
are inclined to trust to their greengrocer to supply 
them with the coveted salading, being of opinion 
that large heaps of manure and elaborately con¬ 
structed houses are necessary to grow Cucumbers 
properly. This, however, is by no means the truth, 
for as far as cultivation goes Cucumbers may be 
grown as easily as the Vegetable Marrow, although 
it is of course rather more tender in constitution 
than it. Now to the householder who lives in close 
proximity to large towns, and whose garden is, as 
the natural result, rather limited with regard to area, 
the question in consideration, whether any particular 
fruit or vegetable shall have a portion of the valuable 
space allotted to it, is "will it pay,” or in other words 
can the same fruit or vegetable be bought in the 
required quantities at a less cost than it can be 
obtained for by growing it at home ? There can be 
no doubt, we should imagine, that the Cucumber 
does pay to grow, or there would not be so many 
people who make a speciality of its cultivation for 
market. Surely if it pays these men to grow it to 
sell to middlemen, who have to make their profit on 
the transaction, it must give a remunerative return 
to the amateur gardener who has a few feet of glass 
at his disposal, and who cultivates it for his own 
consumption. 
Culture in Frames. 
In most cases a cold frame is the only means of 
accommodation for Cucumbers that the amateur 
possesses, but this, if properly managed, will come in 
very handy. Although for early Cucumbers it is 
necessary that the frame should be placed on top of 
a moderately sized hot-bed, in order to afford 
sufficient heat throughout the months of early 
spring, for those that are planted about this time 
of year, however, such elaborate preparations need 
be made. If a load or so of fresh stable manure is 
obtainable so much the better. This must be turned 
several times before it is used, and if at all dry 
should be watered to assist fermentation. A bed 
some 2 ft. or 3 ft. deep may then be made, upon 
which the frame may be placed. A barrowfull or 
two of good loam mixed with a little leaf soil should 
then be put in the frame, forming a nice mound of 
soil in the centre of each light, afterwards putting 
the lights on and keeping the frame fairly close for a 
day or two, only giving a crack of air to allow the 
rank vapours to escape until the soil has got 
thoroughly warmed through. 
The plants will be the next consideration, as it is 
important to obtain good ones to start with, it being 
a great mistake to expect good returns from coddling 
up weaklings. As considerable heat is necessary to 
cause the seed to germinate it is by far the better 
plan to purchase the required plants rather than to 
attempt to raise them from seed, unless of course the 
requisite conveniences are forthcoming. Although 
one plant will soon cover a large amount of space, it 
is better to have two in each light if speedy results 
are looked for. In planting these out they should 
not be placed erect in the hole as it is usual to do 
with ordinary plants but must be laid down so that 
the stems are lying along the ground. Make the 
soil nicely firm around them but do not water them 
for a day or two if the soil is moderately moist. A 
dewing over with the syringe must be given them 
morning and evening shading them carefully from 
hot sun which soon scorches and disfigures the 
leaves. Air must also be given cautiously for a few 
days after the planting. 
As soon as it is evident that the plants have 
become established in their new quarters, and that 
they have begun to start away freely, they must be 
stopped, pinching out the tops with finger and 
thumb, in order to induce them to break, that is, to 
send out shoots from the axils of the leaves at 
intervals along the stem. These growths as they 
become long enough must be fastened down in their 
allotted places by means of neat wooden pegs. All 
shoots must be stopped as soon as they reach the 
sides of the frame. All male flowers must also be 
removed as soon as seen, for these are of no use and 
only tend to enfeeble the plants if left. As soon as 
the plants get well established, and the roots have 
pretty well run through the soil, the water supply 
will need to have very careful consideration, and 
occasional applications of liquid manure when they 
are carrying heavy crops of fruit will also be of very 
great service. Shade from the direct rays of the 
sun will in all cases be necessary throughout the 
whole of their career, for if the fruit is allowed to 
be exposed to the sun it invariably acquires a bitter 
taste, that, to say the least of it, does not enhance 
its value. For cultivation in frames, according to 
the manner suggested, the following varieties may 
be thoroughly recommended as being everything 
that could be desired, the plants growing vigorously 
and fruiting freely, the fruit, moreover, being of 
admirable flavour Rollisson's Telegraph, although 
this is an old variety it will be hard indeed to beat 
it as a reliable sort ; Tender and True, and Lockie's 
Perfection. 
Culture in the Open Air. 
Supposing that no pit or frame is available, several 
varieties of Cucumbers may be successfully grown 
in the open air. Some of the ridge varieties produce 
exceedingly good results when treated in this way, 
and are verj sweet eating, some of the small 
Gherkins, moreover, coming in very handy for 
pickling purposes. A warm corner in the garden 
should be chosen, the size of the proposed bed or 
ridge marked out, and the soil dug out to a depth of 
at least a foot. This hole may then be filled up 
with well rotted manure, treading it down firmly and 
covering the soil over it. Upon the ridge thus 
formed the young plants may be put out, covering 
them until they get established with bell-glasses or 
hand-lights, shading them from the sun and dewing 
them over with the syringe as advised for the more 
tender varieties grown in frames. As soon as they 
have started to grow freely, both shade and hand- 
lights may be dispensed with, for the leaves them¬ 
selves will form a sufficient shade for the fruit. It 
is manifest that with the sun and air having free 
access to the plants in this way that additional care 
must be taken to see that they do not suffer from 
lack of water, and therefore in the evenings of hot 
days copious waterings may be given overhead with 
a rose can. 
Insect Pests. 
These are very likely to cause trouble if not watched 
carefully, more especially with plants growing out¬ 
side, for if allowed to get dry at the root attacks of 
black-fly will be almost sure to cause trouble. Any 
affected leaves that may be noticed should therefore 
be dusted with Fowler’s Tobacco Powder, washing 
this off after about an hour has elapsed from the time of 
application, with clear water. Red spider, too, will 
sometimes cause a little bother. In this case the best 
plan is to pick off badly affected leaves and to keep 
the syringe well at work amongst the remainder. 
Indeed, it is only where the plants are allowed to 
become dry at the root or an arid atmosphere 
allowed to exist that red spider gives trouble. Mealy 
bug will sometimes make its appearance upon plants 
in frames, but as a rule not in sufficient quantities to 
do any great amount of harm.— Rex. 
ONLY A FEW WILD 
FLOWERS. 
Bent on snatching a few hours of recreation and 
repose from the petty worries of everyday life, I 
thought I could not do better than turn my attention 
to rural joys, which, to the town worker, more than 
anything else—presupposing a love for Nature— 
brings so much refreshment and delight. So, on the 
morning of the 12th of the " merrie ” month, I pro¬ 
ceeded by the early train to Watford, in Hertford¬ 
shire, in search of " fresh fields and pastures new,” 
where I arrived some time before bright Phoebus 
has dissipated the dewdrops from the grass. 
Having called on an old colleague and fidus A chates, 
and exchanged domestic salutations, we set out 
together to court Flora and to pay her those paeons 
of praise to which she is so fully entitled, for the 
lavish and lovely prospect over which she is thought 
to preside. The morning was very fine, the weather 
quite superb, the insects full of vigour, the trees of 
colour, the fields of joy, the birds of song : while the 
odours of many flowers contributed to fill the 
ambient air with the sweetness and freshness peculiar 
to the vernal year. 
We took the St. Albans road, but were soon glad 
to get away from the dust and noise ; so we turned 
into one of those quiet paths which cross the fields 
in the direction of Biickett Wood. What a contrast! 
What a garden of flowers ! Here were the Butter¬ 
cups, the true Buttercups (Ranunculus bulbosus), in 
all their golden sheen—the Buttercups which the 
farmer looks upon with far from friendly eyes 
because they are of no economic value and usurp 
the place of other herbage which, if less ornamental, 
and floriferous, is r.t least more useful from a 
utilitarian point of view. But Nature wills it other¬ 
wise. She has given the Buttercup such a hardy 
constitution that it seems fitted to survive all time. 
A companion of the Buttercup is the Lady’s Smock 
(Cardamine pratensis), which also has a distinct 
though less showy effect upon the landscape. It is 
sometimes called Bitter Cress and Cuckoo Flower. 
The latter name, however, is misleading, as other 
plants are also known by the same name. The 
cuckoo's call, however, which resounds through the 
wcods, reminds one that it would not be in¬ 
appropriate to the flower if it were confined to the 
Lady's Smock, as the arrival of the bird and the 
blooming of the plant are more or less synonymous. 
The Lady's Smock has very graceful foliage, while 
the flowers are of a soft pale purple tint. But there 
seems to be much difference of opinion in respect to 
colour, for Shakespeare wrote— 
" Daisies pied, and Violets blue, 
And Lady-smocks all silver-white.” 
What wonderful progress the grass and the flowers 
have made since Easter ! Everywhere the fields 
are clothed in the garb of luxuriance ; and the trees, 
too, have put on such rich tints in response to the 
abnormally warm weather that fields and trees and 
flowers alike are redolent of early summer. More¬ 
over, all these things speak to one of cheerfulness 
and vigour ; they breathe poetry, for it is only in the 
country that one can appreciate the beauties of 
nature and give free scope to his natural feelings. 
Over another stile and through another field, and 
we are on the precincts of a homestead, where the 
Lilac pours forth its perfume ; the Chestnut lifts its 
noble panicles of bloom; the rich Laburnum is 
encircled with its golden chains ; the Apple, the 
Pear, and the Plum contribute to the exuberance of 
spring ; while the sombre Pine and the purple Beech 
assist very largely to break up the monotony which 
might accrue even of such arboreal wealth. We 
pass round this garden of beauty and prospects 
until we come to the railway, where, strange to say, 
many wild plants, which ordinarily seek the shade, 
are found in great abundance. The wild Strawberry, 
with its pretty white flowers and stoloniferous roots, 
is here in myriads. Its generic name (Fragaria) is 
indicative of the sweet-smelling—aye, and sweet¬ 
tasting, too—character of its pulpy fruits. What a 
study the wild Strawberry affords! Whether we 
regard it botanically, historically, or horticulturally, 
we shall find much philosophy in it. To the gardener 
it is an interesting subject, as being the species from 
which the luscious one of the table has been derived. 
To the botanist it is not a fruit at all, but a "juicy 
torus.” "Not a fruit,” I hear my friend exclaim, 
" then what is it ? ” We will see. If it be a fruit 
it should contain seeds. Cut it open ; there are no 
seeds ; therefore it is not a fruit. Botany will ex¬ 
plain—hence the value of botany. 
Another plant which is in very good form is the 
common Bugle (Ajuga reptans). It is a curious 
flower, although a striking one; its colour is 
difficult to fix, for it is composed of many hues— 
purple, blue, green. It is a member of the Labiata, 
hence its corollas are irregular, while its inflores¬ 
cence is whorled in the axils of the upper leaves. 
Its specific name suggests its creeping nature. Its 
generic is not so easily defined. Like its vernacular 
name it is not " understanded of the people." It is 
said, however, to come from bous, an ox, and frossi1, 
a tongue, because the rough tongue-shaped leaves 
were fancifully supposed to resemble that lingual 
appendage in the bovine order. 
The Cowslip, too, was here; the Cowslip with its 
bright yellow, sweet-scented, pendulous blossoms, 
which was discussed recently. There were many 
other blossoms also, but hardly anything fresher or 
sweeter than these self-same 
“ Cowslips wan that hang the pensive head.” 
The railway embankment seems to permit of 
much variation, for, as it is kept comparatively free 
from rank herbage, many of our British wildings 
are able to obtain a footing, and thus to exhibit 
more robustness and beauty than otherwise obtains 
in more crowded sites and situations. But my 
companion desires to go forward, so we will leave 
the Cowslips and sing with old Herrick— 
“ Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, 
Old Time is still a-flying, 
And this same flower that smiles to-day, 
To-morrow will be dying.” 
— C. B. G., Acton, W, 
(To be continued). 
