330 THE YEAR-BOOK OF AGRICULTURE. 



table, can hardly toll what to ask for at the seed-stores, or what will be the character of his 

 crops when obtained. 



The following communication from Dr. T. W. Harris, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, to 

 the Pennsylvania Farm Journal, furnishes much desirable information respecting the origin, 

 qualities, and nses of the several varieties of these vegetables: — 



In September, 18)34, Mr. John M. Ives, of Salem, Massachusetts, exhibited in Faneuil 

 Hall, Boston, a new squash, to which he subsequently gave the name of the •• Autumnal 

 Marrow Squash." This fruit, thus introduced and brought into notice, soon became a great 

 favorite, and has ever since been extensively cultivated for table use, as a sauce and for pies, 

 in the vicinity of Boston. So popular has it become in the market of Boston, that it may 

 well be oaUed "'the Boston Bquaeh," though I never heard that name applied to it. Mr. 

 Ives, in his description of it, called it a variety of Cucwbita unlopepo, which is an error. It' 

 not a mere variety of Commodore Porter's Valparaiso squash, it doubtless descended from 

 the same stock as the latter. It must not be confounded with the kind cultivated in England 

 under the name of "Vegetable Marrow" — a very poor vegetable, as I am assured by friends 

 who have eaten it in London — and apparently one of the sorts which in New England would 

 be called summer squashes. The "Autumnal Marrow" is eaten only when fully ripe ; the 

 •■ Vegetable Marrow," like "Cymlings," is eaten only in an unripe state. The former conn - 

 into eating in September, but may be kept with care till March. When pure or unmixed 

 by crossing with other kinds, it is considered as the very best autumnal and winter Bquash 

 iu New England. Many cultivators have allowed it to degenerate or become mixed with 

 the larger and grosser Valparaiso, so that we do not often find it in entire purity in our 

 market-. It generally has only three double rows of seeds. 



I am not sure what is the fruit denominated Connecticut Field pumpkin, and the ci. 

 pumpkin is unknown to me except by its name in catalogues. 



The Valparaiso squashes, of which there seem to be several varieties, known to culti- 

 vators by many different names, some of them merely local iu their application, belong to 

 a peculiar group of the genus Cucurbita, the distinguishing characters of which have not 

 been fully described by botanists. The word squash, as applied to these fruits, is a mis- 

 nomer, as may be shown hereafter ; it would bo well to drop it entirely, and to call the 

 fruits of this group pompions, pumpkins, or potirons. It is my belief that they ware 

 originally indigenous to the tropical and subtropical parts of the western coast of America; 

 they are extensively cultivated from Chili to California, and also in the West Indies, win 

 enormous specimens are sometimes brought to the Atlantic States. How much soever 

 these Valparaiso pumpkius may differ in form, size, color, and quality, they all agree iu 

 certain peculiarities that are found in no other species or varieties of Cucurbita. Their 

 leaves are never deeply lobed like those of other pumpkins and squashes, but are more 

 or less five-angled, or almost rounded, and heart-shaped at base; they are also softer 

 than those of other pumpkins and squ The summit or blossom-end of the fruit has 



a nipple-like projection upon it, consisting of the permanent fleshy stile. The fi nit-stalk 

 is short, nearly cylindrical, nover deeply five-furrowed, but merely longitudinally Btriated 

 or wrinkled, and never clavated or enlarged with projecting angles next to the fruit. 

 With few exceptions, theyoontain four or five double rows of seeds. To this group belong 

 Mr. [v< autumnal marrow Squash (or pumpkin) before named, Com. Porter's Valpars 

 •quash, (pumpkin,) the so-called mammoth pumpkin or Cucurbita maxima of the botan 



the turban ftquaih OT acorn squash, CuCUrbtia piliformis of iMuhesne, the Cashew l.unipkili, 



1 nni ticui pie-squash, Stetson's Cuba squash, and bis hybrid called the Wilder 



squash, witl. Othai -■ 



The variety introduced from Valparaiso by Com. Porter became known to me about the 

 DOS which time it has been more OX Leal cultivate, 1 in \.u England, both for 



the table and for stock, [t is of an oblong, oval shape, of a pale reddish-yellow oolor exter- 

 nally when ripe, nearly smooth, and very slightly furrowed, and often arrows to a large size. 

 It readily mixes with the autumnal marrow, but is inferior to it in quality. It may )" 



better and i labli in the Middle and Southern States than la New Bngland. 



The turban, sometimes called the acoru squash, because when the fruit is small it 



