

GROWING AND MARKETING 
CUCUMBERS 
@ Growing cucumber seed has had our careful study for over 
40 years. Some years our production of seed has been nearly 
half of that grown in the United States. A very large portion 
of the cucumber seed of the country is grown here in the 
Rocky Ford district and we come to you for your orders 
knowing that what we have to offer is not surpassed in quality. 
Cucumbers thrive best in a very rich, loamy soil, not con- 
taining too much sand. A rather heavy soil is preferable to 
sandy soil. The most successful growers fertilize heavily 
with barnyard manure, scattered evenly over the surface 2 to 
3 inches deep, disced thoroughly, then plowed under to depth 
of 6 to 8 inches, then thoroughly harrowed and floated. This 
gives an excellent seed bed. 
You can now plant with your garden drill rows 4 feet apart, 
drilling in about 3 pounds of seed per acre, covering the seed 
about 1 inch in depth. You can follow the drill mark and 
cultivate before the plants come up. Cultivate often. When 
the plants have four to six leaves thin to one plant every 18 
inches. Keep the cultivator going as long as you can get 
through the rows. If under irrigation, water once a week 
lightly and always cultivate between irrigations until the crop. 
is laid by. Keep the cucumbers picked off as fast as they 
reach the size desired, as if any are allowed to ripen the plants 
cease to set on more fruit. 
If bothered by the’striped cucumber beetle or aphis, dust 
with APHICIDE. See page 88 for information. This is a great 
help for gardeners. 
Be careful not to put too much Jime or ashes on the plants, 
as this will injure them. Keep them growing rapidly and in- 
sects have less chance to damage them. 
In picking to ship for slicing it is a good plan to divide the 
field into thirds and pick one-third each day. If under irriga- 
tion, lay off the lands in short rows and run the water along 
the rows very lightly after each picking. 
Always cut off the cucumbers and handle very carefully. 
Do not ship any culls. Throw them away and ship only the 
first-class specimens. They look so much better—the demand 
is kept up—the consumer is willing to pay a better price. 
There is less express and package expense and your reputation 
for a first-class pack is kept up, to the advantage of your 
bank account. 
When the market is high, many are tempted to ship seconds. 
| Don’t do it; keep the market up with quality. 
} See page 45 for discussion concerning the’ mixing of cu- 
t cumber and other cucurbits. 


Cucumber seed pit, pump for elevating seed to the power washer and in 
the background drying trays and a 25 acre field of cucumbers which are 25 
being harvested 


