Early Russian Black Spine

Large dark green fruit with pale green speckles. Crisp, slightly fruity, and moderately sweet. Fruit slightly ridged with black spines. Pale green flesh. Fruit measure 1.7-2.0" wide, 4-6" long, and weigh 3.5-7.5oz. Moderately vining plants with distinctly lobed leaves. Fruit in clusters of 1-5. Seed mature fruit are orange with moderate cracking and scarring. Early maturing. Average productivity. Kathleen Plunkett-Black (WI PL K) has grown this variety from 1993 through at least 2016 when she shared it with Seed Savers Exchange. She originally received it in 1993 from Roger Everhart (MN EV R), who in turn acquired it from the Oliver Kelley Farm near Elk River, Minnesota. The farm is a National Historic Landmark and a working 1860s living history farm. Reference to an 'Early Russian' cucumber with black spines can found in an 1894 bulletin (#69) by the New York AES. Earlier references to 'Early Russian' (although no mention of spine color) are made by Fearing Burr in 1863 and by the "The Working Farmer and United States Journal” in 1860. Kathleen uses this variety to make dill pickles. SSE Accession # 133065