Tumbledown Farm .9 Acres (give or take an acre or two)

Excerpt: CUCUMBER plants are raised in just the same way as melons, save that rather more water and less air are given during growth.

CHAPTER XVIII
Cucumbers

CUCUMBER plants are raised in just the same way as melons, save that rather more water and less air are given during growth.

The middle of May is a good time to start the hot-beds for the seeds for the suggested plan of operations; otherwise they may be sown at the beginning of April. Give no water until the seeds are well up, lest many of them decay. The moisture in the soil should be sufficient for germination. When the seed leaves are fully developed, pot them into 60's, burying the stem up to the seed leaves, 'and plunge the pots in a second hot-bed, as for melons. Stop the plants at the second rough leaf, and cut off the seed leaves. In about three weeks the plants will be ready to put into their per­manent place. Set them out, two to a light, like melon plants, but set a little deeper. Keep the frames close for three or four days, and shade by scattering a little littery manure over the glass. When growth has started freely, give air and water, a little at first, but increas­ing with the growth of the plants. In genial weather, with free growth, as much as six gallons of water to a light will be needed

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daily; but judgment must be used, and water­ing should cease altogether, or be given in great moderation, when the weather is dull or cold or growth is slack.

When the two stems reach the top and bottom of the frame respectively, stop them at the third or fourth leaf, but make allowance for the top side-shoot, which will continue to grow towards the walls of the frame. Do not allow any fruit to form on the main stem; the fruit will come on the side-shoots, and these side-shoots should be stopped at the second leaf. On the side-shoots new shoots will break away, and these should be stopped at the first leaf. As the young fruits appear, keep a close watch for anything which may interfere with their free growth. Lay them flat on the soil that they may grow straight. When the plants are bearing freely, increase the watering and give plenty of air at mid-day when the sun is very hot. The lights may be removed altogether by the middle of July if the weather is very warm, but they should be at hand for protection in case of a storm or any sudden change in the weather. The cucumber is not so hardy as the melon when in full growth, and needs covering at times when the melon may not.

The last batch of cucumbers should be planted not later than June 25. Later would be work in vain.

If the weather has been so genial as to allow the lights to be removed, they should be
78 French Gardening

replaced by August 20, raised from the frame all round at first, but gradually lowered. Water­ing must be gradually reduced, and should cease altogether by about September 10, when the lights should be closed and only raised a little during the middle of the day.

If cucumbers are grown in large quantity it is a good plan to go through half the frames on each alternate day to gather the fruit. This gives a daily supply, and makes it certain that none are overlooked.

Melons and cucumbers should not be grown near each other, especially when seed is to be saved, as they are liable to cross-fertilization. Besides, melons lose flavor, it is said, when grown near cucumbers.