Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-02-17
RAISING CUCUmBERs FOR SALE.

To the Editors of the Union and American:
GALLATIN, TENN, Feb. 2, 1871.-Will
you please let a farmer reader know,
through the columns Of the UNION AND
AMERICAN something relative to the rails
ing of cucumbers for picking; the best
mode of cultivation, cost, profit, etc.
Wish to raise several acres if it pays.
Does it pay better TO sell them green or
pickled2 Have had no experience in this
line, and would be thankful for any prac-
teal Information. G. III. W.
The best soil for the cucumber is fresh,
light loan, but it will grow vigorously
and bear profusely upon any soil where
there is plenty of heat and moisture.
For picking purposes they should be
planted in this latitude about the LIST of
June, in hills six feet apart each way,
and carefully protected from the striped
bug, the vegetable flea and other vermiu,
by an infusion of tobacco or hen-house
manure, or by sprinkling SCOT over the
plants every morning while the dew is
on. The cultivation should be the same
as that for melons,
After they have begun to run, they
may be considered safe from any depra-
dations by insects. Frames should then
be made, and the vines trained on them.
They yield much more sbundantly treated
in this way; but as the making of such
a large number of frames for a crop of
the size our correspondent speaks of,
would be both expensive and troublesome,
it would be better to let them run on the
ground as watermelops, etc. Some gar
deners recommend the digging of holes ff-
teen inches deep, and filing with well de-
composed stable manure, but this we con-
slider work :of supererogation, in the
rich soils of Middle Tennessee. The
largest yield of cucumbers we have ever
known, was 10 a tobacco field where the
seeds were planted in the same hill with
the tobacco. The shade of the tobacco
plants protected the vines from the scorch-
ing raysof July sun, and the yield was
enormous. In this manner two crops can
be made with the same cultivation. We
would recommend this method to our cor
respondent He can run no risk in this
way, because if the cucumber should fail
to bring good price he will be amply
rewarded for his labor by his tObac co
crop. We have no hesitation, however,
in saying that a cucumber crop will pay;
but as it is an experiment in this State
we should not advise him to go into the
business to the extent of six acres unless
in the manner we have indicated above.
After the vines have come into bearing,
the cucumbers should be picked off every
day and kept by taking a tight barrel,
covering the bottom with a layer of salt
an inch in thickness, and then putting on a
layer of cucumbers, then another layer
of salt, and so on, until the vessel is full.
They should be kept pressed down with
weight beneath the brine which they will
make of themselves with the salt. In
this way they will keep any length of
time and may be sold by the barrel, or
made into pickles, put in jars and placed
on the market.
The variety known as the 'Iong
Green is the best for picking purposes. |
As to the yield, we suppose that fifty
barrels per acre would rot be an exorbi-
tant estimate. A statement is made in
the Maine Farmer of one man who |
made l75 barrels on II acres; another |
who made thirty five barrels of cUcum-
bers, and vegetables sufficient to supply |
his family, on one-half acre. Cucumbers
sell ia the Northern markets for $40 to |
$l5 per barrel, and if picked, about |
double these amounts. OF course, de- |
mand and supply regulate the price,
which is sometimes much below and
again far above the prices we have men
toned. We should like TO see the expe-
riment made, and hope, should our friend |
go into it, he will report his success or
failure.