304 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE 



as that may be the best for one of the plants which will be worth 

 all the others. Dig a trench nine inches deep and a foot wide; 

 then put in three inches of good well decayed cow, sheep or horse 

 dung; then dig up the bottom a foot deep, and mix the manure 

 with it. Return the soil taken out, pulverizing it thoroughly first, 

 and walk over it once sideways, and smooth the surface with a 

 rake. 



Draw a drill two inches deep, and sow wood ashes just enough 

 to cover the soil; then sow the seeds half an inch apart. Put on 

 half an inch in depth of drift-sand from the roadside, fill in and 

 rake even, and cover the surface with a board. The first week in 

 April, on a sunny day, remove the board, prick up the soil with 

 a fork or sharp stick, half an inch deep; then rake the ground 

 over. Keep the ground clean, and stir up the soil round the plants 

 three or four times. Some will bloom the first of July. Put a stout 

 peg at each end of the rows. About the middle of October, on 

 a cloudj' day, take up the plants, prune the roots to six inches in 

 length, and the tops to a foot. Prepare a piece of land as above, 

 and plant them one foot b}^ two feet apart. The first week in 

 December, or before a hard frost occurs, make a cone of earth 

 over each plant, nine inches high. About the last week in autumn 

 cover with cedar brush or salt hay. The first week in April 

 remove all the brush and head down to six inches in length. If 

 the ground is not sutficiently moist, give the plants a liberal 

 watering once a week. 



The Dishcloth Gourd. 



Mr, G. J. Brown, Morrisania, Westchester county, N. Y., writes 

 to the club: 



Seeing in the last report of your meetings something said con- 

 cerning the so-called .dishcloth gourd, and as it appeared to be 

 doubted if it could be raised in this climate without artificial heat, 

 I would say that I have raised it here in open ground from seed 

 brought from New Orleans, without hotbed or any more care than 

 is required for any other gourd, and that I am satisfied that,Vith 

 plenty of room to run, (for it is a great climber,) planting about 

 the time for Lima beans, it can be successfully raised in this cli- 

 mate. I send a few seed for distribution to any who may wish to 

 grow them. The gourd is well adapted for covering up sheds, 

 bare walls, or unsightly fences, as it requires no fastening. 



