Page:The family kitchen gardener - containing plain and accurate descriptions of all the different species and varieties of culinary vegetables (IA familykitchengar56buis).pdf/55

 nourishing qualities, few or none of our culinary vegetables having less nutriment, it being of a cold and watery nature, and to persons of a weak and delicate constitution very indigestive. When dressed with oil, vinegar, and pepper, it is freely used to cool the feelings and sharpen the appetite: hence the common saying, “as cool as a cucumber.” Of the many sorts in cultivation, we select the following, as being dissimilar, and worthy of culture, either for the frame or open air.

Early Short White Prickly.—Fruit from four to six inches long, of a sea-green color, with white spines; forces very well, and is grown extensively for market. It does not get yellow so soon as the Early Short Prickly, which is of the same size, of a dark green color, with black spines.

Long Early Frame.—This is used both for forcing and open air culture. It grows from six to ten inches long, a good bearer and a very excellent variety.

Manchester Prize.—Dark green, with black spines. An English variety; of great excellence either as a fruit or abundant bearer; generally grown in the gardens of the wealthy about Philadelphia, and is often seen at our Exhibitions twenty inches to two feet long.

Kerrison’s Long White Spine, in size and form similar to the former. The spines or prickles are white: a good bearer.

Long Prickly grows about ten inches long; dark-green color, black prickles; a great bearer. This variety, with the two first named, are the most certain for general crops; the other long sorts are equally as crisp, if not more so, but they are not so plentiful bearers, neither do they produce seed in any quantity. If different sorts of Cucumbers are grown contiguous to each other, they are certain to mix, and the seed from them will not produce the genuine variety. There are also white Cucumbers, and white with black spines, but their taste is flatter and more insipid.

in the open air is of the simplest character.