354 NEW JERSEY STATE AGRICULTURAL 



of commercial sorts, not before grown by the Department, was 

 added to that of the crosses previously secured. Soil and season 

 conditions were not favorable for a satisfactory crop, and what- 

 ever is given below concerns plants and fruits that were not up 

 to the average in vigor and size. 



Relative Amount of Flesh in Squashes. 



A study of the flesh content of vine squashes in particular has 

 been begtm as a factor in the advance toward better fruits. The 

 method of determination consisted in plunging the squash (first 

 washed of all adhering soil) intOi a tall vessel filled with water to 

 the brim and catching the water of displacement in a dish inta 

 which the tall jar had been set. This water thus overflowing was 

 weighed and later, in a similar manner, a corresponding record 

 was made of the water displaced by the twO' halves of the 

 squashes, held side by side, after the seeds and worthless shreds 

 (plasentse) has been removed. The weight of the water dis- 

 placed by the twO' halves, divided by that of the whole squash, 

 gives the percentage of the flesh ; thus, should the displacement 

 of the halves be 75 ounces, and 100 ounces be that of the whole 

 squash, it is evident that the seed cavity makes up 25 and, there- 

 fore, the flesh is 75% of the whole fruit. 



The value of a summer squash, that is, its amount O'f food, 

 is not measured entirely by the flesh, for with these the whole 

 fruit is cooked with the exception of the skin, which is often 

 removed when the fruit is somewhat advanced in age. It is, how- 

 ever, true that the part of greatest value is the flesh, and a variety 

 may be best that has the largest percentage of flesh and, there- 

 fore, as one method of improving this vegetable fruit means are 

 being taken to increase the percentage of the wall of the fruit 

 and, therefore, reduce its often large contents. 



With the winter squashes the case is clear that a fruit with a 

 thin flesh has far less food than another of the same size with a 

 thick flesh. It is still to be shown that there is any correlation 

 between the thickness of the flesh and its quality, but, from the 

 standpoint of quality, the thin-fleshed squash is ruled out. 



The following are the results that were obtained by the "hydro- 

 metric" method described : 



