The Busy Woman's Garden Book

by Ida D. Bennett

CHAPTER X
VEGETABLES OF THE VINE FAMILY

CUCUMBERS

For main crop or pickle cucumbers should be planted in the open ground from June until the middle of July; at this season there is less danger of damage from the striped cucumber beetle and the stink bug, both serious enemies of the vine family; but even so late in the season it will be well to take the easy precaution of strewing tobacco stems or dust on the hill about the plants.

For pickles plant in hills four to six feet apart each way and keep the entire surface of the ground clean with frequent cultivation. Hoeing about the hills and running the hand cultivator with the scuffle-hoe attachment between the hills will be sufficient, but no weeds should be allowed to make a start, as once the vines have begun to cover the ground it will be difficult to eradicate the weeds and the vines must not be tramped on or handled unnecessarily. When the plants are a foot long pinch out the ends of the branches to induce branching and check too rampant a growth. Pull up all but three or four plants when all danger of bugs is past. Keep a close watch for root maggot, borer, and wilt. Spray with Bordeaux arsenate of lead mixture at the first appearance of wilt, and continue once a week until the fruit appears; after that it will not be safe to use the poison.

Gather the pickles frequently—every other day if bearing well; do not allow fruit to grow large or ripen on the vines if grown for pickles as this will check production.

One of the best table varieties is Early Fortune—also a desirable pickling variety. Arlington, White Spine and Davis's Perfect are excellent table sorts and Chicago Pickle—a standard pickle sort—and Long Green, or Jersey Pickle and the Westerfield's Chicago Pickle are all excellent types for growing for pickles.

CITRON

Used for preserving and for sweet pickles, require the same treatment as melons and squash. Seed may be planted directly in the open ground or started on pieces of sod in the hotbed; this is preferable as the fruit sometimes fails to ripen in a short season and unless fully ripened on the vine the preserves have a watery taste, no matter how carefully prepared. Citron make about the same length of vine as the watermelon so should be planted from five to six feet apart, and when the vines are a foot in length the tips should be pinched off to induce branching and check too straying a habit. Keep cultivated, remembering that the dust-mulch is the best garden insurance and spray with Bordeaux mixture against blight and use tobacco dust liberally as a preventive measure against the yellow striped beetle and the squash bug.

MUSK MELONS