The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-04-29

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Within the last ten years Tie culti-
walton of cucumbers ~ 1eeumed q
magnitude that lew fsrmafs dieANase
Of, hundreds of acres belng grown foe
the manufacture Of pickles In Chicago
It is q crop that usually returns .
handsome profit. -' ssss' -
There are few farmers who have
not some land that Will grow cucum-
beers for pickles, more probably than
ANYTHING else. New lind planted
once or twice. ID the very best for the
crop, being free from weeds, not need
ing so much manure. The ground
should be rich and dry; NO water
should stand ON IL, as the vines are
easily scalded by letting water stand
close to them, or drowned BY having
too much water on the roots. Pre-
pare the land the same as for corn |;
mark six feet apart both ways. II
your land is not very rich, make the
first mark with the plow. At the
crossing, drop a shoveiful Of we'll
rotted manure; cover the manure
with two inches Of soil, before you
drop the seed cover the seed about
one inch deep.
The best time TO pillow the ground
is about the 10th Of June, Just before
planting. This destroy the first crop
of weeds and gives the encounters .
good start before the new growth Of
weeds commenced. -
The best time to plant is about the
18th of June, as by that time tho stri-
ped bugs (the cucumber vines worst
enemy are mostly gone, and you are
free from their ravages.
If the weather be favorable, they
will bet go that you can go through
them in ten days with the .cultivator.
After they are in the rough Leaf 80
over them with the hoe aud thin
them out to three or four plants to the
hill; cn> gate until they begin to COW
er the ground. They must be Kept
clear of weeds, as &c is too much work
for the pickers to find the cucnmberss
in the weeds. Usually about seven
weeks after planting, picking COM
mences in earnest. Boys and girls are
generally employed to do the pick
ing, "a they can do as much ~ men ct
about half the wages. Take one year
with another Gf the weather be favor
a5le) one hand to the acre is sufficient.
In picking, use baskets, and. have
the cucumbers sailed as soon as posi-.
BILE after being picked. Do not cut
the cucumber from the vine, but break
off the stem with your forsfinger and
thumb, close up to the cucumber. The
sizes required are from two to five
inches. 3
1t is not out of place here to give
directions for packing pickles in brine.
If they arc very dirty, wash them by
throwing water over them. Count
the pickles into clean barrel, fill up
the barrel and gently shake down,
then put Gil brine of fifteen gallons of
water and half q bushel Of common
fine salt. This is sufficient for all
that can be put into forty gallon
barrel. Have q barrel head that will
so in the barrel, put Oh top of it a
small stone, or three or four bricks, to
keep the pickles under the brine all
the time. Examine tie barrels daily,
to see that the brine does not leak or
soak away. Fill up the barrels every
few days until you have added one
or more bushels. Be sure and keep
pickles under brine all the time.
The varieties mostly grown are the
Short Green and Early Frame. On
rich, well cultivated ground, they are
said TO often yield 10000 per acre.
l have never come up to that, ale
though l have had some very good
crops. The price the manufacturers
are Offering for the season of 1870, are
Sl.50 per l 900 delivered green; S1.75
in brine.
The amount of seed needed to plant
one acre is one pOund.-C0r. Western
Rurol.