



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. 
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 floated. 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. 
Y OU Cans enorw, 
plant=“with sy our 
garden drill rows 
38 to 5 feet apart, 
drilling in - about 
3 pounds of seed 
per acre, covering 
the seed about 1 
inch indepth. You 
ean follow the 
drill} Mmranreaeeana 
cultivate before 
the plants come 
Up: WL isve deere 
often. When the 
plants have four 
to six leaves thin 
to one plant every 
18 inches. Keep 
the cultivator 
going as long as 
yo-u, Gan overt 
through the rows. 
If under  irriga- 
tion, water once a 
week lightly and 
always cultivate 
between irriga- 
tions U neil the 
CLOp Lis lal derby. 
Keep the cucum- 
bers picked off as 
fast as they reach 
Good specimen of Cucumber Marketer, taken at the size desired, 
slicing stage. The interested youngster? He is as if any are al- 
Dennis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Delavan Burrell, and lowed to ripen the 
a fourth generation member of this family of plants cease to 
seed growers. set on more fruit. 
Keep plants growing rapidly and insects 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 
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 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. 
D. D. T.-CAUTION., Do not.dust or spray USINe. Oooo eon 
beans, cucumbers, cantaloupes, or watermelons. Use Marlate 
Insecticide, listed Page 81. This will control cucumber beetles. 
Use Aphicide No. 10 for killing aphis. 


24 
D. V. Burrell Seed Growers Co., Rocky Ford, Colo. 
