Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-10-14

many of them necessarily with little
experience in IT, business. A few
al the more important facts demon
stratea in the experience OF successful
growers should prove useful.
The crop FOR this YER is already
planted. cut the character OF thf har-
vest, the PROFITS. may still lie very
largely controlled ~ the method OF
practice followed by The grower.
Ii should be remembered that the
cucumber belongs TO the melon family.
Il is therefore naturally adapted 10
hSht. mellow, early loan soils. The
crop should lie grown iB hills The
distance OF planting is extremely inn
pOrtauC Not only does The number OF
Mills which the land can be made To
maintain chiefly innUenco the quantity
of crop, but fl Is extremely important
chat ihe surface 81 The soil BE- entirely
covered by vines during the fru.ung
season. The reason Tor this fact lies
in Che Importance cd proiolgiag the
ruiJins season as lGic is possible. For
thls purpose the yiCcs must bee Kept
erowiug. they should not be allowed 10
ripcn and die. The s.gast way 90 se-
cure This object is 20 Keep Cue ground
covered NllA vines. They Viii thus
serve as an effective mulch. retaining
moisture during The hoe dog day sea-
son, and p-eyeat the severe Gryns out
oil thC sG-lace sod. wllcn is So com
monty followed by following AID dy-
ms OF tae vines. Rows SIS zee, apart
and balls four faet apart i'm the row
Will best meet the requirements OF
average soils.
As August and September FORM the
lruitins season. * viii lie easily seen
that the crop need NOT be planted till
early June. Ii Is therefore easily used
as a second crop. folIoaln carly gar
Den crops, or as q lars crop requiring
attention sl,er earlier crops have been
-,,ltcd CD. and is therefore d crop OF
convenience vel adapted TO the sue
cessiye use of labor.
Ia the general fertili Ing 81 cucum-
Der lands it must be borne ia mind
that this crop is distinctly ga iuten-
sive one High fertn and culture
are demanded Tor Success ~ is vine
crop, and, therefore, H11sal user OF
nitrogen. IL u.s. practically. a fruit
crop. and demands potash ia proper
proportion. These two are the CHIEF
lood requirements OF The cucumber
PhosDhoric acid is OF less importance
particularly as ripening OF weeds is
not desired.
With soils In good state OF fertility
the application before planting should
on tie average. consist ol 1.ouJ pounds
per acre OF a complete fertilizer having
an approximate composition of six
per cent ibosrhoIic aud. ,hrec per
cent. nitrogen and eight per cent pot.
ash.
OF varieties there ere many well
adapted TO pickle makug. The only
point 10 Bee insisted on i5 lhlt q green
variety be- planted. 1he early WhltisA
or white spined kinds, should be care
fully avoided.
Three points are aimed 40 by the
pickle grower; and his success viii be
measured by the tesres 60 which he
succeeds IN controlling them.
The hardness and cra.aes5 sought
by pickle makers d. only partly secured
by the process of piCAlag. Ihe char
acter oil the cucumiccs themselves
larBcly Influences RESULTS. This is ia q
considerable degree ul,hm control OF
the grower. Liberal potash lertiIiz.
ms is Indispensable 10 the perfection
OF quality Ina pickles. In many cases
particularly or lands rich ir humus
an application OF 5O pounds oi suIphate
OF potash at the last cultivation will
greatly improve tine character OF the
product.
Continued growth of vines alone
however, viii not assure continued and
abundant fruitlng IL is only the FIRST
essential 10 this end. The other es
sential Is frequently overlooked by
growers. IL consists simply in regu
lar and continuous picking of all fruit
after it once begins 70 set. The first
and second pickinEs are likely. in
themselves, 10 prove Improbable. on
the plea that the fruit secured. at
the price paid by the contractor. does
not pay for the time required They
forget or are ignorant Of, the fact
that all future setting OF fruit de
pedds on the closeness with which ali
first fruit is removed. Other things
being equal, the first crop win be pro-
portional TO the completeness and care
with which all the first cucumbers are
picked. It should be the rule TO nick
every cucumber as soon as it reaches
pickle size, even If it be thrown away
The final yield viii justify all labor
thus expended.
DRIP FOR GRlNOSTONE.