St. Tammany farmer., 1922-03-11
Describes How They Are
Raised from the Cold
Frames to Field
BRING AS HIGH
AS $400 PER ACRE
Develop Parish By Draining
Lands and Developing
Into Truck Acreage
By A. E. Briggs.

By A. E. Briggs.
Although for best results cucum-
bers are started in cold frames, by
planting now in early March the
trucker in this district with his
plants IN the open has a. good chance
to get profitable prices in the early
May market. Especially in view OF
the fact that our bean growers are
being held back in planting by the
unfavora Bile rains this week so that
they will be later than is most de-
sirable, we suggest the following
combination of beans and cucumbers
which is practiced in some places,
that is, interplanting the beans be-
tween the cucumber rows.
There is a considerable advantage
in this proposed com bination. In
the first place the growing of two
crops like these is a better bet than
growing cnly one, for there is less
likelihood Of losing money on both
crops than on one. The beans ma
ture fast and are off the ground be-
fore the space between the rows will
be required for the cucumber vines.
Besides, the beans ARE shelter or
windbrelk to protect the tender
young cucumber plants. The cucum-
ber crop coming on after the beans
are all harvested will provide an
other early cash crop.
Plant cucumbers in rows 6 feet
apart, r1dging up for drainage, and
drill the seed about 2 pound to the
acre. When the plants are estaD-
lished and past injury by insects
thin to stand apart l foot to Is
inches in the row.
1t is very important to dust the
young plants to prevent insect in
jury as suggested in my article on
watermelons. Also to prevent blight
it is necessary to spray about every
week ordinarily with Bordeaux Mix
ture. When the vines are growing
rapidly this should be Increased to
twice week. Spraying should be
continued to the end of the season.
The cucumbers more than almost
any other truck plant is liable to
blight disease, and if the grower is
not diligent about spraying he is
If the cucumber gets on the mark
ct at the right time it often sells at
as much or more than 81 bushel
Late in MayIhe market will fall as
low as Use or soc bushel. A fair
yield is about 200 bushels to the
acre.
Picking should be carefully done
to avoid injury to the vines and also
to get first class product for the
market. The fruit should be cut
away, rot pulled. And picking
should be just before the cucumber
is full size and before the seed hard
ems. Prompt picking two or three
times week is essential to keep the
vines producing and to get the fruit
at the proper stage for marketing.
1t is to be noted than the cucum-
ber requires care and attention, and
the grower who does not stick to the
Job will not succeed with this crop.
Fertilizer requirements and culti-
walton are about the same as with
the watermelon, which we described
last week. The growing of legumes
following the cucumber crop anu
turning them under for green ma
nure is an excellent practice, enrich
ing the soil and SO reducing the ex-
penditure for nitrogenous COM
mercial fertilizers.
The development Of this parish by
the drainage of lands and making
them into trucking acreages is a goal
which our merchants and other busl-
ness men should set before them;
for in no other way can they profit
so greatly as from the establishment
of agriculture here. They are vital
ly interested in these experiments al
trucking by our farmers and should
do all that can be done to make
them succeed This is a step toward
"a greater prosperity than we have
known before.