|
|
Cucumbers
Nature Bulletin No. 495-A may 26, 1973
Forest Preserve District of Cook County
George W. Dunne, President
Roland F. Eisenbeis, Supt. of Conservation
CUCUMBERS
On sultry summer nights many a farm boy fishing for bullheads by the
light of a kerosene lantern has wondered what smelled so good along
the river bank. More than likely it was the night-blooming wild
cucumber which has a delightful, refreshing odor -- something like a
slice of watermelon. This fragrance made it a favorite vine for porch
trellises and outdoor arbors where families used to enjoy the quiet of
the evening.
The Wild Cucumber thrives in stream valleys and waste places over
most of North America east of the Rockies. The large rough leaves are
star-shaped and the small white flowers are borne in clusters. The fruit,
or the cucumber itself, is about two inches long, an inch wide, spongy
to the touch, and covered with weak spines. Inside are four large brown
seeds which pop out as it ripens. This habit gives the name, Squirting
Cucumber.
Another widespread wild species, the Bur Cucumber or Star Cucumber,
is also called Nimble Kate because it is a high-climber with vines up to
50 feet long. It has large rough leaves and bears small bristly fruit in
clusters, each with a single seed. Like the Squirting Cucumber, it is an
annual, growing anew from the seed each year. In contrast, a wild
species of the southwestern states, called Chilicothe or Man-in-the
Ground, springs from an enormous perennial root, very bitter and as
large as a man's body. Indians made hair oil out of its seeds which are
produced in large, very prickly, green balls.
These wild cucumbers are the poor relations of that large -- mostly
tropical -- Gourd Family which gives us all our cultivated watermelons,
muskmelons, pumpkins, gourds, gherkins and cucumbers. The earmarks
of this family are large lobed leaves, clinging tendrils and the vining
habit. In addition, there are two types of flowers on each plant, the
sexes being separated like Quakers in a meetinghouse.
Our edible cucumber has been cultivated for at least 3000 years in India
where its wild ancestor still survives in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Since then it has been introduced throughout all parts of the world as a
field or garden crop where the climate is suitable. They were grown and
appreciated in ancient Egypt and are mentioned in the books of
Numbers and Isaiah, in the Old Testament, when the Hebrews
remembered longingly the cucumbers and melons they had during their
captivity. The Chinese have known them for at least fourteen centuries
and, along with melons, they have been grown for ages in the famous
floating gardens of Kashmir. In Russia they are prized above all other
vegetables.
Cucumbers require an abundance of moisture and plant food. They
thrive best, in the open, during August when the days are hot and the
nights are moist and warm. Because of their tropical background, they
are very sensitive to cold. A good vine yields 25 to 100 cucumbers
during its life. Whether eaten raw or made into pickles, they are always
picked green and must be picked every day.
Those delicious little sweet pickles we eat are only one day old.
To return to the Nature Bulletins Click Here! |
|
Update: June 2012
|
|
