EXPKHl.MKX'r STATIOX KKl'Oiri'. 181 



has come a group of gourds, like llic "uest-ogg/' '"'oraiige," "niock- 

 orange/' "pear" and "Turk's turban," that are grown to some extent 

 for ornament, and, being hard-shelled, serve as domestic utensils. 

 These represent the C. Fepo var. ovifera, so named from the egg 

 form above mentioned. A second variety includes the bush sorts of 

 plants that run little or not at all, to which the name of C. Fepo var. 

 condensa has been assigned, from its compact or condensed habit of 

 growth. Under this variety are gathered the scallop and crookneck 

 squashes and bush pumpkins, and furnish the many sorts of summer 

 squashes. 



The Cucurhita moschata Duch. are long, running like ordinary 

 pumpkins and squashes, which Bailey* states is "possibly of East 

 Asian origin.'' This is not grown with us to any extent, and fur- 

 nishes, among others, the winter or Canada crookneck variety. 



Under Cucurhita maxima. Duch. are classed the forms that are most 

 generally termed squashes, as illustrated by the "Hubbard" and "Mar- 

 row" types. The flesh of the fruit is orange, and in shape is not 

 crooknecked. 



These three species differ in nothing more strikingly than the stem 

 to the fruit. In C. Pepo it is very hard and deeply grooved close to 

 the fruit at maturity, while C. moschata has the stem also grooved, 

 but much enlarged as it joins the fruit, while in C. maxima it is 

 large, soft and is neither ridged or enlarged as it joins the fruit. The 

 leaves of C Pepo are much lobed and dull green, and in C. moschata 

 they are rounded and grayish, while C. maxima has a kidney shape in 

 evidence. 



Bailey states that C. Pepo and C. maxima do not cross, neither do 

 C. maxima and C. moschata, but C. Pepo and C. moschata have been 

 bred together. Our successful pollenations have been, first, between 

 varieties of C. Pepo and, secondlv, between sorts of C. maxima, and 

 all attempts to hybridize the two species have resulted in failures. 



There is an opinion more or less cun-ent among truckers and others 

 that melons, cucumbers and pumpkins will mix with each other, and 

 this subject naturally comes up with the work that is given above. Many 

 melons are poor in quality and suggest that they have been hybridized 

 with pumpkins, squashes, cucumbers or other species of the same family. 

 This conclusion as to origin, as determined by taste and possibly gen- 

 eral shape of fruit, which varies greatly in many instances, is contrary 



•^Cyclopadia of American Horticulture. 



31 



