Planting on the Benches.—As soon as the plants show well-developed runners and are 10 to 12 inches long they should be placed in their permanent position upon the greenhouse benches. Plants grown in pots must be carefully removed from these receptacles to the bench, but those grown in the wooden cups above referred to can be planted, cup and all, in the soil of the bench. The utmost care should be exercised to keep the plants of the cucumber growing rapidly at all times. If cucumbers receive a severe check or are placed under conditions which are not entirely congenial to them, they are liable to become dwarfed and stunted, and as soon as vigorous growth ceases they become the prey of the melon aphis, mildew, and other pests and diseases which are so annoying to growers of cucumbers under artificial conditions.
Distance to Plant.—After the plants have attained a height of 10 or 12 inches and are in a vigorous growing condition they should be placed about 15 or 18 inches apart in single rows upon the side benches of the greenhouse, which are normally 3½ feet wide, or if planted on 8-foot benches they should be planted about 10 or 12 inches from the edge of the bench and 15 to 18 inches apart and parallel with the edge of the bench. In the broad benches, where more than a double row can be carried, plants can be set about 18 inches apart and in rows about 2 feet apart. A satisfactory plan for an 8-foot bench will be a row parallel with and 10 inches from each edge of the bench and a double row 18 inches apart through the middle of the bench. It is well, however, to allow as much space as possible. The cucumber is a rank-growing plant and many side branches will develop if sufficient space is allowed.
Training the Plants.—As soon as the plants show a tendency to run they should be trained so as to keep them from becoming unduly tangled and in order to fill all the space upon the trellis. Galvanized wires No. 16 can be run lengthwise of the house and stapled to the supports, which should be placed about 6 feet apart. Upon side benches which are elevated it will be necessary to train the cucumbers to the framework of the greenhouse. For this purpose screw eyes about 8 inches in length can be placed in the sash bars at intervals of 4 or 5 feet and the parallel wires to which the vines are to be tied stretched 12 inches apart lengthwise of the house through these screw eyes and firmly fastened at the ends. The vines should then be loosely tied to the supporting wires with raffia or soft cotton yarn. When the fruits become heavy, as in the case of the English varieties, it will become necessary to truss them to prevent their weight breaking the vines. Heavy fruits will cause the supporting wires or bands of raffia to break or girdle the vines unless they are supported independently. The American varieties seldom attain sufficient size to require this precaution. Fruits of these varieties as soon as they are 8 to 10 inches in length and 2 inches in diameter are harvested for market. The vines are usually sufficiently strong to withstand the weight of fruit of this size.
Pollination.—The cucumber, like the other members of the gourd family to which it belongs, bears two kinds of blossoms on widely separated parts of the plant. The staminate or nonfruit-bearing flower is the first to appear and is in general borne near the base of the plant. The pistillate blossom with the embryo cucumbers at its base appears later and is borne near the extremity of the newly forming and rapidly growing shoots. Since these flowers are normally produced in this way, it is necessary that a transfer of pollen be made from the staminate to the pistillate flowers throughout the agency of insects or by other artificial means. Under greenhouse conditions and at the time of year that the cucumber is forced it is necessary to provide for pollination. In small establishments this work can be done by hand. The staminate blossoms are removed, the petals turned back so as to allow the anthers to project, and the pencil thus produced is then thrust into the cup of the pistillate flower in such a way as to distribute pollen upon the stigma of the pistillate flower. In large establishments where hand pollination is out of the question a colony of honey bees is placed in each house to accomplish the work.—(F. B. 254, 255; Mass. Ag. Col. E. S. 87; Iowa Ag. Col. E. S. 47.)
DANDELION.
Sow the seed of dandelion in spring in drills 18 inches apart, covering it one-half inch deep. Thin the plants to about 12 inches apart and give good clean cultivation throughout the summer. In the colder parts of the country it may be desirable to mulch slightly during the winter to prevent the plants heaving out of the soil. Early the following spring the plants will be ready for use as greens, but they are greatly improved if blanched by setting two boards in the forms of an inverted letter V over the row. The blanching not only makes the leaves more tender but destroys a part of the bitter taste. Dandelion greens should be boiled in two waters to remove the bitterness.—(F. B. 255-68; S. Dak. 68; U. Id. E. S. 10.)
DILL.
Grown as fennel which it greatly resembles, both being well known herbs used for flavoring pickles, and both being of unsurpassed hardiness.—(Mich. E. S. 20.)
EGG PLANT.
This delicious vegetable is not so much cultivated in our gardens as it should be. This has arisen largely from the difficulty of getting the plants from seed in the open ground. If you have no greenhouse, hotbed, nor frame, it will be best to buy the plants at setting-time from some one who grows them early in pots. Plants pulled from a bed are seldom worth planting, as the egg plant is slow to recover from a serious check.