40 



Journal of Agricultural Research 



Vol. III. No. I 



CUCURBITS 



On account of the large space required by crops which produce vines, 

 the cucurbits were grown outside the inclosure at Akron in 1913. The 

 reduction in water requirement produced by the inclosure amounted in 

 the case of wheat, alfalfa, and cocklebur to approximately 20 per cent. 

 These ratios for the cucurbits should therefore be reduced by this amount 

 in comparing them with crops grown inside the shelter. The observ^ed 

 water requirement outside and the computed water requirement within 

 the inclosure, both based on dry matter, follow: 



Crop Outside Inside 



Watermelon 75o±i9 6oo±i5 



Cantaloupe 778±34 621 ±27 



Cucumber 89i±i4 7i3±ii 



Squash.... 936±io 748±8 



Pumpkin i,043±2i 834±i7 



The cucumber, cantaloupe (PI. VI, fig. 4), and watermelon did well in 

 the pots. Squash and pumpkin produced very little fruit (Table XXIV), 

 and the growth of vines was not normal. Watermelon and muskmelon 

 proved to be the most efficient of the cucurbits. Pumpkin, the highest 

 of the cucurbits in water requirement, is about the equal of alfalfa in 

 efficiency. 



Table XXIV. — Water requirement of cucurbits at Akron, Colo., in igij 



