a 
GROWING AND MARKETING CUCUMBERS 
@ Growing cucumber seed has had our careful study for nearly 
50 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. 3 
Cucumbers thrive best in a very rich, loamy soil, not contain- 
ing too much sand. A rather heavy soil is preferable to sandy 
soil. The most successful growers fertilize heavily with barn- 
yard 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 ftoated. This gives an 
excellent seed bed. If commercial fertilizer is used, this will 
vary according to your soil’s needs. Here at Rocky Ford 10-20-0 
seems best suited to vine crops. 
You can now 
plant with your 
garden drill rows 
3 to 5 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” Cul tiv ate 
often. When the 
plants have four 
to six leaves thin 
to one plant every 
18 inches. Keep 
the cultivator 
going as long as 
Y O00 Canny ewe) 
through the rows. 
If under irriga- 
tion, water once a 
week lightly and 
always cultivate 
between irriga- 
LIONS? 1 Mt id the 
crop is laid by. 
) Keep the cucum- 
: Good specimen of Cucumber Marketer, taken at bers picked off as 
i slicing stage. The interested youngster? He is fast th hi 
i Dennis, son. of Mr. and Mrs. Delavan Burrell, ast as they reac 
J and a fourth generation member of this family the size desired, 
of seed growers, as if any are al- 
lowed to ripen the 




| plants cease to set on more fruit. 
; Keep plants growing rapidly and insects have less chance to 
| damage them. e 
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 
irrigation, 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 go 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 cucumber 
and other cucurbits. 
D. D. T. CAUTION. Do not dust or spray using D. D. T. on 
beans, cucumbers, cantaloupes, or watermelons. Use the new 
Marlate Insecticide, listed Page 87. This will control cucumber 
beetles. Use Aphicide No. 10 for killing aphis. 
eee 
24 D. V. Burrell Seed Growers Co., Rocky Ford, Colo. 

