English Telegraph Cucumber

English Telegraph is an heirloom variety of cucumber that produces long, slender cucumbers reaching up to 12 inches in length.  Often trellised, English Telegraph Cucumbers are prized for their economical use of garden space and steady production even when less-than-ideal pollinator populations are present.  These qualities make them a favorite for growing in greenhouses and tunnels.  In the kitchen, English Telegraph cucumbers are beloved for their smooth, nearly spineless skins and mild, pleasing flavor, attributes which make them perfect for salads, snack trays, and sandwiches. Developed as a forcing cucumber, Telegraph cucumbers were typically planted by British gardeners in February and transplanted into hot beds by mid-March for an early spring harvest.  While the exact origins of this variety are difficult to pinpoint, we did find mentions of Telegraph cucumbers dating as far back as the 1850s.  By 1869, improved strains bearing names like Rollisson's Telegraph and Paul's Improv