CUCUMBER. 
49 
CUCUMBER. 
Cucumis sativa .— Concombre , Fr.— Gurke , Ger, 
Amonc^ the varieties of this species of plants, are 
Long green Turkey, 
Long white Turkey, 
Early Green Cluster, 
Early frame, 
Long prickly, 
V/hite spined, 
Short prickly, 
Cl_II ‘ 1 * 
Small girkin, or West India. 
Soil .—In our climate, cucumbers will grow in any soil, though not with 
the same degree of vigor, provided they be supplied with a sufficiency ol 
heat, light, water, and air. It is an object with many market gardeners 
and others, to produce cucumbers at an early period, and for this purpose ar¬ 
tificial heat is necessary. For early forcing, Abercrombie recommends a 
mould or compost, of the following materials: “one third of rich top soit 
earth, from an upland pasture, one half of vegetable mould, and one sixth of 
well decomposed horse-dung, with a small quantity of sand. 
Time of beginning to force .—Abercrombie says, “Managers, who have to 
provide against demands for early cucumbers, must raise seedlings from 
twelve to ten weeks before the fruit will he required, according to the length 
of the days in the interval. In proportion as the entire course embraces a 
greater ,part of mid winter, the liability of failure from obstacles in the 
weather will be greater. The last fortnight in January, or first week of 
February, is a good time for beginning to force the most early crop. In the 
subsequent months, both main and secondary crops may be started as re¬ 
quired and will come forward more freely. To have a constant succession, 
seedlings should be originated twice a month. As the course of forcing 
more coincides with the natural growing season, the length of it will be re¬ 
duced to eight/seven, or six weeks.” Nicol recommends the middle of 
January. He says, “Some begin sooner, but it is striving hard against the 
stream to little purpose. If the dung be prepared, and the bed be got ready, 
so as to sow about the 1st of February, the success will be often greater thar. 
by sowing a month earlier.” Besides, cucumbers, produced altogether by 
the heat of dung, without the aid of the sun, are less wholesome and palat¬ 
able than those which Nature affords in the due course of her operations. 
S)rts .—Abercrombie recommends “the short prickly for very early fruit, 
and the long prickly kinds for the chief early and main summer crops. 7 ’ 
MThail prefers “ the green cucumber with black prickles, as best for 
forcing. When fit for table, it runs from six to nine inches long, and, when 
ripe, runs to about eighteen or twenty inches long.” 
Choice of seeds .—“ It is advisable,” Abercrombie observes, “to have seed 
from two. at least, to four years old, in preference to newer seed, which is 
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