VICK'S FL ORA L G UIDE. 
W 
CUCUMBERS. 
In this latitude it is useless to plant in the open 
ground until nearly the first of June. Make rich hills 
of well-rotted manure, two feet in diameter, and plans 
a dozen or more seeds, covering half an inch deep. 
When all danger from insects is over, pull all but three 
or four of the strongest plants. The middle of June is 
early enough to plant for pickling. Make the hills about 
six feet apart. For early Cucumbers, the hot-bed is 
necessary ; but the simplest and surest way to produce 
a tolerably early crop of the best kinds is, where it is 
designed to place a hill, dig a hole about eighteen in- I 
ches deep and three feet across ; into this put a barrow j 
of fresh manure, and cover with a small box-like frame, 
on the top of which place a couple of lights of glass. 
When the plants grow, keep the earth drawn up to the 
stems. Water, and give air. 
The Foreign Varieties represented by the long 
specimen in the engraving, figure 6, are of fine quality 
and of wonderful size, often two feet in length, but they 
requite a hot-bed to help them along until the weather 
is warm, and very little success must be expected from 
entirely open culture, except at the South. In Europe 
they are grown in glass houses. 
As long as fruit for the table is desired, do not allow 
any to go to seed, as this impairs the fruiting of the vine. 
Two specimens allowed to form seed will do more harm 
than two dozen for the table or pickling. Some of the 
smaller kinds are usually prepared for pickling, but Long 
Green is excellent for this purpose when young, and 
many pickling houses use White Spine exclusively. 
AMERICAN VARIETIES. 
Cucumber, Early Russian, very early, hardy 
and productive ; small, growing in pairs; see 
engraving, fig. 4 ; perlb. £1.25; peroz. 15cents, 5 
Early Green Cluster, next in carlincss to the 
Russian; small, prickly, in clusters, produc¬ 
tive; fig. 1; perlb. $1. 00; per oz. 10 cents, . 5 
Early Netted Russian, new, and very promis¬ 
ing, . 10 
Early Frame, a good variety for pickling and 
table, of medium size; fig. 3; per lb. $1.00; 
per oz. 10 cents, . 5 
Early White Spine, an excellent variety for 
table ; very pretty and a great bearer ; a favor¬ 
ite with market growers ; fig. 2 ; per lb. $1.00; 
per oz. 10 cents, . 5 
Improved Long Green, a very fine long fruit of 
excellent quality; fig. 5 ; perlb. $1.25; per 
oz. 15 cents,. 5 j 
FOREIGN VARIETIES. 
Cucumbers, Long Green Southgate, a fine 
old English sort, grown here so long it is 
almost as hardy as the natives ; per oz. 50 cents, 15 
Chinese Long Green, long, productive and 
hardy, . 15 
Stockwood, fine, hardy, standard sort; every 
way superior,. 15 
Wood’s Long Ridge, a fine, hardy variety, . 15 
Bedfordshire Surprise, hardy and excellent, . 15 
Giant of Arnstadt, one of the finest, good bearer, 25 
Rollisson’s Telegraph, one of the best, ... 25 
General Grant, new and excellent,. 25 
Carter’s Champion, a fine winter variety, . . 25 
Cuthill’s Highland Mary, very superior and 
productive; hardy; fine for forcing,. 25 
Sion House Improved, fine; constant; good 
bearer; one of the best English sorts, .... 25 
Mills’ Jewess, . 25 
Swan Neck, a new variety; very promising, 25 
EGG PLANT. 
A tender plant, re¬ 
quiring starting in the 
hot-bed pretty early to 
mature its fruit in the 
Northern States. The 
seed may be sown with 
Tomato seed ; but more 
care is necessary at 
transplanting, to pre¬ 
vent the plants being 
chilled by the change. 
Those who have no 
hot-beds can sow a few 
seeds in boxes in the 
house. Hand-glasses 
are useful for covering 
at time of transplanting. 
There arc several varieties, but the largest and best of 
all is the Improved New York Purple. Egg Plant is 
usually cut in slices, partially boiled, sometimes in thin 
batter, and is considered by most persons a great luxury. 
Egg Plant, Early Long Purple, eight or nine 
inches long, productive ; per oz. 30 cents, . . . 5 
Round Purple, medium size ; per oz. 30 cents, 5 
Improved New York Purple, very large and 
fine, the best ; per oz. 6o cents ; half oz. 35 cts., 10 
Striped, fine fruit and beautiful,. 10 
Black Pekin, per oz. 75 cents ; half oz. 45 cents, 10 
