CRYPTOCHILUS sanguinea. Stove
orchid. Offsets. Peat and potsherds.
CRYPTOLEPIS elegans. Stove ever-
green climber. Cuttings. Peat and
loam.
CRYPTOMERIA japonica. Japan
Cedar. " Hardy evergreen tree, which
will probably prove one of the most
ornamental of the Conifera;. Sow the
seed in sandy loam in a cool place; pot
singly ; the first year it will attain a
height of from twelve to eighteen
inches. It grows rapidly, and is as easily
managed as the Chinese Arbor Vita;
{Thuja Orientalis), succeeding in almost
any soil or situation, not very poor or
wet." — (Hort. Soc. Journ.) — It will be
propagated, probably, by cuttings.
CRYPTOSTEGIA. Two species.
firmly together with silk, so as to re-
semble a stone, or a small lump of earth.
They remain in this state till the follow-
ing May, and sometimes for two years,
when they emerge as pretty blackish
brown moths. The wings, when ex-
tended, measure between one and two
inches across; the upper pair are brown-
ish, clouded with black, and have on
the inner edge a pale white patch, re-
sembling the figure 3, or the Greek
letter c; the lower wings are pale
brownish, and sometimes nearly white,
and have a broad dark border. We
have seen those caterpillars in such
abundance in some gardens, as to com-
pletely destroy all the different kinds of
Mullein, and the nearly allied plants.
The only way to lessen their ravages,
is to collect and kill the caterpillars."
— Gard. Chron.
CUCUMBER. Cucumis sativus.
This, like many other esculent vege-
tables, has been divided into a number
of varieties and subvarieties, the greater
portion of which could be easily dis-
pensed with ; for all useful purposes,
three or four varieties are amply suffi-
cient. " Those principally grown are
the Early Frame and Long Green
Prickly. The Early Frame is of mode-
rate length, prickly, and is the variety
generally used as the early crop for
salad.
" The Long Green is mostly grown
for pickling ; all the varieties are very
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171
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tender, not bearing the least frost. For I threatens to be too powerful. It must
an early supply start some plant in pots ' never be neglected to cover the glasses
or boxes, early in the spring, and when at night, apportioning the covering to
the season is more advanced set them the temperature of the air and bed.
out on a well sheltered border, in hills. The heat should not exceed SO*-' in the
with some thoroughly rotted manure hottest day, or sink below 65^ during
incorporated with the soil. Seed for the coldest night.
succeeding crops may then be planted. ! If the heat declines, coatings of hot
For pickles, plant the latter end of dung are to be applied in succession
June and beginning of July. The Cu- to the back, front, and sides, if that
cumber, like the Squash, &c., is liable ' source of heat be employed. As the
to be preyed upon by yellow bugs
which are very destructive. To coun
mould appears dry, moderate waterings
must be given, care being taken not to
teract them prepare a mixture of slaked wet the leaves. The best time for ap-
lime and wood ashes, and sprinkle it plying it is between ten and two of a
freely on the leaves and stems whilst! mild day, the glasses being closed for
the dew is on, that it may adhere. As an hour or two after performing it.
often as it may be washed or blown off, The temperature of the water must be
repeat the application, till the enemy be
conquered.
" For the method of making sieves or
boxes to protect cucumber vines, melon
vines, &c., against the yellow bug, see
the New England Farmer, vol.2, page
305. •' — Rural Register.
To force Cucumbers. — Most persons
between 6o^ and SO^. The interior of
the glass should be frequently wiped, to
prevent the condensed steam dropping
upon the plants, which is very injurious
to them. If the bed attains a sudden
violent heat, the necessary precautions
to prevent the roots of the plants being
injured or scalded, must be adopted ;
who have the requisite conveniences ; but if hot water is the source of heat,
force this vegetable. The following hints 1 this danger is avoided altogether.
may be useful, even to those who have
some experience.
The hot-bed for seedlings must be
moderate, and a single one or two light
frames will be quite sufficient if dedi-
cated to their cultivation. The mould
It is a material advantage if, previous
to planting finally, the plants be turned
into pots a few sizes larger, without at
all disturbing the roots, and plunged
into a hot-bed for a month longer, the
same attention being paid them as
need not be more than five or six inches [ before,
deep. The seed is best sown four The second stage of cultivation is
together in small pots, and plunged in ; planting them out into hot-beds for final
production. The hot-bed for their re-
ception must be of the largest size, as
being required to afford a higher and
longer continued warmth through the
coldest periods of the year.
When the earth is put on, it is at first
to be spread only two or three inches
the earth of the bed ; but whether here
or in the mould, it must not be buried
more than half an inch deep. Two or
three days after sowing, or when the
seminal leaves are half an inch in
breadth, those in the mould of the bed
must be pricked three together in smal
pots, quite down to their leaves in the { deep, but under the centre of each light
earth, which should be brought to the a hillock must be constructed, eight or
temperature of the bed before this re- ten inches deep and a foot in diameter,
moval, by being set in it for a day or The earthing should be performed at
two previously ; those seedlings that
have been raised in pots, must likewise
be thinned to three in each. They
must remain plunged in the hot-bed
until their rough leaves have acquired
a breadth of two or three inches, when
they are fit tor ridging out finally.
During this first stage of growth,
great care must be taken that air is ad-
mitted everyday as freely as contingent
least four or five days before planting,
at which time the earth must be ex-
amined ; if it be of a white colour and
caked, or, as it is technically termed,
burnt, it must be renewed, for the
plants will not thrive in it, and holes
bored in the bed to give vent to the
steam.
The mould of the hillocks being well
stirred, the plants must be turned out
circumstances will admit, as also at of the pots without disturbing the ball
night, if the degree of heat and steam ' of earth, and one containing three plants
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inserted in each; a little water, previ-
ously heated to the requisite tempera-
ture, must be given, and the glasses kept
perfectly close until the next morning.
Any plants not in pots must be moved
by tlie trowel with as much earth per-
taining to their roots as possible. The
shade of a mat is always requisite dur-
ing the meridian of bright days until
the plants are well established. They
must be pressed gradually away from
each other, until at least eight inches
apart ; nothing can be more erroneous
than to allow them to proceed with the
stems nearly touching.
When well taken root, earth must be
added regularly over the bed, until it is
level with the tops of the mounds ; for
if there be not a sufficient depth of soil,
keep the frames close, and to lessen
the opening of the glasses, in propor-
tion as the air is cold or the beds de-
clining, it never exceeding two inches
under the most favourable circum-
stances. Water is usually required two
or three times a week ; it must be
warmed as before mentioned previously
to its application. Instead of watering
the inside of the frame, it is a good
plan to do so plentifully round the
sides, which causes a steam to rise, and
affords a moisture much more genial to
the plants than watering the mould.
The last stage of growth includes the
blossoming and production of fruit. The
training must be regularly attended to,
and all superabundance of shoots and
leaves especially kept away. If the
the leaves will always droop during hot plants which have been once stopped
days, unless they are shaded, or more
water given them than is proper.
An important operation for the ob-
taining early fruit, but by no means so
necessary for later crops, is the first
pruning, or as it is termed, stopping the
plant, that is, nipping off the top of the
first advancing runner, which is to be
done as soon as the plant has attained
four rough leaves ; this prevents its at-
taining a straggling growth, and compels
it at once to emit laterals, which are
the fruitful branches. When they be-
gin to run, the shoots must be trained
have extended their runners to three
joints without showing fruit, they must
be again stopped.
The impregnation of the fruit now
requires continued attention ; as soon
as a female blossom, which is known
by having fruit beneath the flower-cup,
opens, or on the second morning at
farthest, a fresh full expanded male
flower is to be plucked, with its foot-
stalk pertaining to it, and the corolla or
flower-cup being removed, the remain-
ing central part or anther applied to the
stigma of the female, which is similarly
and pegged down at regular distances, | situated, and the fecundating dust dis-
which not only prevents their rubbmg charged by gently twirling it between
against the glass, but also becoming the finger and thumb. If possible a
entangled with each other. Never i fresh male blossom should be employed
more than two or three main branches' for every impregnation, and the opera-
should be left to each plant, all others' tion performed in the early part of the
to be removed as they appear. If more
are left it causes the whole to be weak,
and entirely prevents the due exposure
of the foliage to the sun. The greatest
care is necessary in regulating the tem-
perature ; it must never be allowed to
decline below 70^ or rise above 95^.
As it decreases, coatings of hot dung
must be applied to the sides, and the
covering increased. The temperature
of the bed, as well as of the exterior
air, governs also the degree of freedom
with which the air may be admitted ;
whenever allowable, the glasses should
be raised. The best time for doing so,
is from ten to three o'clock.
It may not be misplaced to remark,
that chilly Ibggydays are even less pro-
pitious for admitting air than severe
frosty ones ; during such it is best to
day. An attention to this is only re-
quisite to such plants as are in frames;
those grown in the open air are always
sufficiently impregnated by bees and
other insects. If impregnation does not
take place the fruit never swells to more
than half its natural size, nor perfects
any seed, but generally drops imma-
turely. When the male flowers appear
in clusters they may be thinned mode-
rately with benefit; but it is almost
needless to deprecate the erroneous
practice sometimes recommended of
plucking them oft' entirely. As the fruit
advances, tiles, sand, or other material,
must be placed beneath it to preserve
it from specking, or a glass cylinder is
still better; if a bulb containing water is
attached, the fruit grows faster and finer.
The same precautions are necessary as
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173
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regards the preservation of tempera- state the mode. Put five inches of earth
ture, admission of air, &c., as in the se
cond stage of the growtii of the phmts
into a twelve pot, in which plant three
cuttings, taken from as many vigorous
Towards the conclusion of the first pro- 1 bearing branches ; water plentifully ;
duction, it is a good practice to renew place a sheet of glass over the top of
the heat by adding eighteen inches of the pot, the sides of which will siiade
fermenting dung ail round the bed, pre- tlie cuttings until they are rooted;
vious coatings being entirely removed, plunge in a hot-bed ; and in less than a
and to earth over it to the same depth fortnight the plants will be established.
as in the interior of the bed. This pre- The vines thus raised are not so succu-
vents the roots, when they have ex- ' lent as those raised from seed, and con-
tended themselves to the sides of the sequently they are less liable to damp,
bed, being dried by exposure to the | or to suifcr in other ways during win-
air and sun. As the spring advances ter. — Trans. Loud. Uort. Soc.
the glasses may be often taken off dur- [ Hot Water Bed.<i.—li' hot water be the
ing mild days, or even to admit a light source of heat, the following sketch of
tempcraterain. In. June, or July, accord- the bed and frame employed by Mr.
ing to the geniality of the season, they , Mitchell, at Worsley, is about the best
mayberemovedfinally,andeven before,; that can be employed. The objects
the frames may be raised on bricks, so; kept in view when it was constructed,
■■■Were: — "1st. A circulation of air with-
out loss of heat. 2d. A supply of mois-
ture at command proportionable to the
temperature. 3d. A desirable amount
of bottom heat. 4th. A supply of ex-
ternal air (when necessary) without
producing a cold draught.
Fig. 31.
as to allow the runners to spread at will
For a middling-sized finiily, from four
to eight lights are sutlicicnt to afford a
constant supply, and for a larger one,
double those numbers. During mid-
winter, twelve weeks elapse between
the time of sowing the seed and the fit-
ness of the fruit for gathering; but as
the more temperate seasons of the year
advance, this period decreases gradually
to eight. Between the time of impreg-
nation and their full growth, from fifteen
to twenty days usually elapse. Under
fiivourable circumstances and manage-
ment, the same vines will continue in
production three or four months.
Mr. Mills, one of the most successful I
growers with dung heat, gives me these
leading points of his culture : — | . , ,, . , ,, ~
Mr. Mills sows on the 29th of Sep- , -;L_.i. | '^ '^ | | ' £ __;
tember, and transplants into the fruit- I
ing-pit on the 2i)tli of October. Range j
of temperature in pit, 65^ to S5^ and j "The method by which the first of
9.53 ; and of the bottom-heat from 85^ to j these is accomplished, will be under-
9.53. He uses neither saline nor licjuid 1 stood by referring to the section, in
manure. The water employed is about j which a is the tlow-pipes, bb b the re-
80=, but in this Mr. Mills is not particu- turn pipes in the chamber a. It is
lar- Mr. Beaton, to avoid the dcgcne- evident that, as the air in the chamber
rat'ng almost unavoidably incident to i becomes heated, it will escape upwards
the fancy varieties, if propagated by
seed, employs cuttings or layers. His
practice was also adopted by Mr. Mears,
gardener to W. Hanbury, Esq., near
Leominster, and is recommended by
Mr. Mcl'hail. We also saw a very fine
by the opening c, and the cold air from
the passage b will rush in to supply its
place ; but the ascending current of
heated air coming in contact with the
glass, is cooled, descends, and enter-
ing the passage b, passes into the cham-
cucuiiilier, ripened in January of this ber a, where it is again heated ; and
year |,1S44), by Mr. Mills, from a cut- thus a constantcirculation is produced,
ting planted in October. As the end of In order to obtain the second object, I
September is the best time for pursuing j have to some extent combined the tank
this mode of propagation, we will just 1 and pipe systems.
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"The flow-pipe a is put half its di- 1 Training. — There is no doubt that
ameter into the channel c, which when | training near the glass of the frames
filled with water, (or so for as is neces- , upon a trellis, makes the cucumber vine
sary,) gives off a vapour, exactly pro- more prolific, and more enduring. In-
portionable to the heat of the pipe and deed, if trained with proper care, the
same vine may be made to bear through-
out the year.
Hand Glass Crops. — The first sow-
ings for these crops must be in the last
pit
" The third requisition is produced
by the surrounding atmosphere and heat-
ing materials.
" The fourth is accomplished simply ; two weeks of March ; to be repeated in
by lowering the upper sash; the cold the middle of April and May. The seed
air thus entering at the top only, falls ' may be inserted in a moderate hot-bed
directly into the passage b, and passes ; under hand-glasses, or in the upper side
through the hot chamber before coming of one of the frames already in produc-
in contact with the plants. In order to tion, either in pots as directed for the
test the circulation, I fixed a piece of frame crops, or in the mould of thebed,
paper near the front of the pit, and to be pricked into similar situation
found the current to be so strong as to when of four or five days' growth, in-
bend it backwards and give it a tremu- serting only two plants, however, in
lous motion. When the heat in the each pot. They must remain in the
chamber is 95=', in the open space over , hotbed until of about a month's growth,
the bed it is 71^ ; in the bottom of the
passage only 60^ ; and in the mould in
the bed it is 80=.
'• The amount of vapour is regulated
with the greatest facility, even from the
smallest quantity to the greatest den-
sity." — Card. Chron.
Mr. Latter, one of the most success
or until they have attained four rough
leaves ; being then stopped as before
directed they are fit for ridging out
finally.
The ridges may be founded on the
surface, or in trenches a foot and a half
deep, in either case forming them of
well prepared hot dung, three or four
ful of cucumber growers, employs hot i feet wide and two and a half high ; the_
water, and he gives me these leading length being governed by the number of
points in his culture. He sows in the , hand-glasses, between each of which
first week of September, and the vines three feet and a half must be allowed,
from this sowing will be in bearing and The earth is to be laid on eight inches
very strong before February. The ; thick ; when this becomes warm the
seedlings are first shifted into sixty | plants may be inserted two, or at most
sized pots, secondly into twenty-fours, I three, under each glass,
and lastly into the largest size. If to be | Watering, airing, covering, &c., must
trained on a trellis, the runner must be conducted with the precautions di-
not be stopped until it has, trained to a rected to be practised for the frame
stick, grown through the trellis. The ' crops. The glasses should be kept on
temperature in the pit or frame is kept j as long as possible without detriment to
as nearly 65= as possible during the i the plants ; to prolong the time the run-
night, and from 75= to 85= during the ners must be made to grow perpendicu-
da'y ; air being admitted night and day, ; larly ; and still further to protract their
little or much, according to the state ofi continuance, if the season is inclement,
the weather. The bottom heat (Mr. I the glasses may be raised on bricks.
Latter is the champion of the hot-water When no longer capable of confine-
system) is kept as near as can be to 70=, ment, the runners must be pegged down
although he finds that 85= does not regularly, advantage being taken of a
hurt the plants. He waters them with cool cloudy day to perform it in ; but
soft water until February, and then ' the glasses, even now, may be con-
employs liquid manure, taking care that ; tinned over the centre of the plants
the temperature of the liquid is always | until the close of May or early .Tune,
from 75= to 80=. The earth over the \ with considerable advantage. Weeds
hot water tank or pipes ought not to be | must be carefully removed. Waterings
less than fifteen inches deep. Daring | should be performed as often as appears
severe frosts it is an excellent plan to ! necessary.
keep a small floating light burning with- ! If there be a scarcity of dung in the
in the frame every night. I last week in April, or during May, cir-
cue
175
CUR
cular holes may be dug, two feet in I many varieties. Hardy or half-hardy
diameter, one deop, and four apart. , trailing annuals. Seeds. Good rich
These being lillod with hot dung, trod j soil. See Cucumber.
in moderately firm, and earthed over, CUCURBITA. Gourds and Pom-
about eight inches, are ready for cither I pions. Ten species and varieties. —
seeds or plants. With the shelter of Hardy trailing annuals. Seeds. Good
the hand-glasses they will be scarcely rich soil.
later in production than the regular CULCITIUM salicinum. Green-
ridges, j house evergreen shrub. Cuttings. —
CUCUMIS. Twenty species, and : Common soil.
Fig. 32.
" CULTIVATOR FOR THE HAND
(Fig. 32) Is made of iron, and is capable
of being expanded at will ; it is of great
utility in clearing out between rows of
vegetables, loosening the soil, and at
once performing the work of four ordi-
nary hoes.'" — Rural Reg.
CULTIVATORS, OR HOE-HAR-
ROWS. " These are now considered in-
dispensable in cultivating corn, potatoes,
and all other crops planted in hills or
drills — doing the work as effectually
as if hoed, and much more expe-
ditiously. The form is varied by the
different makers, especially in the
teeth or hoes. They are made to ex-
pand or contract, so as to accommo-
date in the distance between the
rows." — Rural Reg.
CULLUAIBINE or COLUMBINE.
Aqiiilegin.
CUJNIIN. See Cuminum.
Cl'MIN. See Lago'ecia.
C U Al I N U M . Cyminum. Hardy
annual. Seeds. Common soil.
CUMMINGIA. Four species. llalf-
liardy bulbous perennials. OfTsetts.
Loam and peat.
I CUNNINGHAMIA sifiensis. Green-
house evergreen tree. Cuttings or
seeds. Peat and loam.
CUNONIA capensis. Green-house
evergreen tree. Cuttings. Sandy loam
and peat.
CUPANIA. Seven species. Stove
evergreen trees or shrubs. Cuttings.
Peat and loam.
CUPHEA. Fourteen species. —
Green-house or stove annuals ; and
stove biennial, herbaceous perennial
or evergreen shrubs. The stove spe-
cies grow best in sandy loam, and in-
crease from cuttings. The annuals —
seeds. Common soil.
CUP I A. Three species. Stove
evergreen shrubs. Cuttings. Loam,
I peat, and sand.
CUPRESSUS. Seven species, and
I some varieties. Hardy or green-house
evergreen trees. Seeds or cuttings.
Good rich loamy soil.
C U R A T E L L A . Two species. —
Stove evergreen shrubs. Cuttings. —
I Sandy loam.
I CURCULIGO. Six species, and
I variety. Stove or green-house herba-
CUR
176
CUR
ceous perennials. Offsets,
peat.
Loam and | whole neighbourhood. Our own ob-
servation inclines us to the belief that
CURCULIO. This genus of Beetle, this insect emigrates just in proportion
popularly known as Weevils, are de- as it finds in more or less abundance
structive to fruit, as nuts, nectarines, the tender fruit for depositing its eggs.
and poaches, as well as to peas, &c. 1 Very rarely do we see more than one
There are many species.
puncture in a plum, and, if the insects
C. hctuleti. Vine Weevil. Colour, are abundant, the trees of a single spot
steel-blue. Attacks the leaf, rolling it
up as a nest for its eggs. The pear is
liable to its attacks also. Appears in
June and July.
The species of Curculio, which is
more fatal in its attack than any other,
is popularly known as the Plum-
Weevil. We copy the following article
on the subject, from the Fruits and
Fruit Trees of America
not afford a sufficient number for
the purpose ; then there is little doubt
(as we have seen them flying through
the air,) that the insect flies farther in
search of a larger supply. But usually,
we think it remains nearly in the same
neighbourhood, or migrates but slowly.
" About a week or two after the
blossoms have fallen from the trees, if
we examine the fruit of the plum in a
"The Curculio, or Plum-Weevil, | district where this insect abounds, we
[Rhynchanus Nenuphar,) is the uncom- ' shall find the small, newly formed fruit.
promising foe of all smooth-stone fruits
The cultivator of the Plum, the Nec-
tarine, and the Apricot, in many parts
of the country, after a flattering pro-
fusion of snowy blossoms and an abun-
beginning to be punctured by the pro-
boscis of the Plum-Weevil. The insect
is so small and shy, that unless we
watch closely it is very likely to escape
our notice. But if we strike or shake
dant promise in the thickly set young ; the tree suddenly, it will fall in con-
crops of fruit, has the frequent mortifi- 1 siderable numbers on the ground,
cation of seeing nearly all, or indeed, | drawn up as if dead, and resembling a