Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 October 1893 — Chinese Cucumbers. [ARTICLE]

Chinese Cucumbers.

Down in Miles River Neck, Talbot county, there is a spot where the average Chinese would delight to dwell. It is a place where Chinese cucumbers grow to tin enormous size. This vegetable, however, assumes sometimes a shape which frightens the natives of the neighborhood, in spite of the fact that Talbot is a local option county (Baltimore American). The cucumber grows long and slim, and at times twists itself into coils resembling a snake. A man going from Easton the other day to Miles River terry, in passing a little clearing in the woods, noticed a green looking object in a patch of vegetables, and be got over the fence to make a closer examination. He almost fainted. Another citizen came along soon afterward. The first man hud revived and was leaving the patch at a Nancy Hanks gait. When accosted ho said to his friend: “Been bit by a snake; woods full of ’em.” Citizen No. 2 persuaded the frightened man to go buck, and upon examination the snake proved to be a Chinese cucumber about twenty-seven inches long, which,, in the course of growth, had twisted itself up in the form of a snake. The cucumber was sent to the American office by express yesterday. It was grown on the lartn of L. W. Trail, of Milee River Neck, and its shape is perfectly snakclikc. Mr. Trail, it is said, has a quarter of an acre of them. The Chinese cucumber is not eaten to any extent in this country, except by Chinese and a few foolish cows. The former, however, import them in a dried condition from their native land,as they do stale eggs and other odorous luxuries. The Chinese like, to see cucumbers grow and and they cultivate them in tbeir yards in the citiesover here. The snakelike appearance of the vegetable does not frighten the slanteyed foreigner, as he would eat with, relish a garter-snake if he didn’t happen to have anything else handy.