28 i NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 



The general shape of the isquash fruit seems tO' be controlled by 

 that of the stem of the plant, which as rule is five sided (pentag- 

 onal), and a section through it reveals ten strands of fibres (fibro- 

 vascular bundles) five of them being at the angles and the other 

 five midway between. The stem of the fruit observes the same 

 pentagonal outline with modifications, and at the place where it 

 joins the fruit poi'Oper there are often ten projections, five smaller 

 alternating with the larger and forming buttresses. In the scal- 

 loped fruits it is a simpler matter to see that the larger five ])oints 

 of the end of the' fruit-stem stand opiposite the grooves and the 

 ridges are opposite to the minor points in the stem. A scallop 

 squash of the simplest type — ^as regards the rim- — has five projec- 

 tions with alternating depressions ; when more complicated there 

 may be small knobs alternating with the larger ones or they 

 may be in pairs between the original five. Whatever the increase 

 in the number of scallops they are a multiple of five, and, as a rule, 

 quite symmetrical, althoiigh during growth these, at first quite 

 plastic, fruits may become warped from perfect regularity. For 

 example, the under half of a fruit, unless quite small, is somewhat 

 different from the upper half, depending upon greater pressure 

 as it lies upon the earth as well as other varying surrounding con- 

 ditions. 



WEIGHTS OF SQUASHES. 



I 



But little attention was' given to the productiveness of the vari- 

 ous crosses. Weights, however, were taken of the fruits of 

 some of the plants at the close of the season and at a time when 

 the summer sorts with "shells" were not of table value. The fol- 

 lowing are some of the weights with the crosses preceding them : 



Ntimier of 

 Fruits to Weight. 

 Plant. Lbt. 



1— Early Bush- Field Pumpkin (8/46 I) 8 9i 



2— Early Bush-Early Bush/Pumpkin (8//8/46) 5 39i 



1.5* 



3— Early Bush-Pumpkin/Pumpkiu (8/46//46) 1 14 



16 



4— Mammoth White Scallop-Pumpkin (10/46 1) 3 14^ 



10^ 



