The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1914-09-09


count here of individual taste. Hearty
laborers relish big. salt. green cucum-
Ders, but sniff distlain Of fancy relishes
and unwonted tangs or mixed iavors,
such as the mangoes and plcalilli.
whose appeal TO educated palates is ir-
resistible.
II the soil of the pickle garden Is
thin 1t had better be devoted to cucum-
beers. The long green variety il best.
1t can be cut at little finger length or
left until almost full grown and still
be marketable. Have the ground made
light and fine; then mark 1t out &c.
curately in squares eight feet each
way. Where the square lines cross dig
holes three feet across and at least
three feet deep. Put in the bottom
of them two inches of brickbats or
broken stones or dry corncObs. over
that foot of stable manure packed
solid; then ill up level with rich earth
One-third good loan. One-third leaf
mold and one-t!iird rotted manure Is
good combination. Make the holes and
I'LL them in May. Plant dozen seed
in each. sticking them down an inch
or so apart. When they sprOut let
them stand for fortnight; then pull
up all but three. leaving those most
vigorous and healthy looking.
To prevent bugs. which suck the life
from young vines. have bottomless
boxes six inches high and eighteen
inches square. Paint the wood over
with coal tar or even Kerosene; then
tack over one end a square OF cheese
cloth. Set Il cloth covered box over
each hill as soon us the seed are up.
or before it. il there are cold. drying
winds. The bugs will not stay under
meath the cloth. and the vines there
will grow so fast us 10 he out of danger
in a fortnight. The boxes can be kept
from season to season and are invaIu-
able for cucumbers, melons. squashes
or anything of that sort.
Keep the hills light and Clean also
the whole space between them. Flows
can run between the hills until the
vines begin to spread. Once they fair
ly cover the earth what grass comes
up will not hurt them. Rooted in the
rich hills, they can easily give odds
to anything growing in poor soil When
blowing is no longer possible little
hoe work and hand wedding may be
In order. but take care neither to bruise
the vines nor to throw loose dirt upon
the leaves
Unless there is a ready market close
at hand get the brine barrel ready as |
soon as the first flowers appear. 1t |
must be clean and sweet before the |
brine goes in. Old pork and fish bar
rels always faint their later contents. |
Empty whisky barrels or mOlasses bar.
rels do excellently. but should be well |
painted outside with red lead to pre-
vent the ravages Of wood worms.
Make the brine of soft water and clean
salt. strong enough to float an egg. A
little brown sugar or molasses I'M
proves the keeping quality. Bring it
to Il boil and skim clean after every
thing is dissolved. Pour it into the
barrel boiling hot, let stand day and
skim again before putting in pickles.
The net result Is nearly the same.
whether the pickles are cut small or
at full length Decide in the begin
ming which size it shall be and stick
10 the decision. Cut the pickles every
morning while the dew is on Thus
they are plump and cool, in the best
condition for keeping. Use very sharp
shears for clipping and take care to
cave the least biz of stalk to each
PICKLE. but never to wound, bruise or
break the vine. If by accident vine
$ bruised or torn. cut it off remorse-
essly, so it shall not decay and set
~ disease in the whole plant. Be care
'ul not to bruise the pickles. In wash
ng use plenty of wafer and drain them
we'll before putting them into the brine.
Keep weighted wooden cover floating
N top of the brine. thus insuring that
he pickles shall STAY covered. Put
'nly sort and size of pickle into yes
el. III saving various sorts use brine
rocks instead of "A barrel. thus max N
ng separation easy. 4