Ornamental Gourds. 307 



famous Americans, for pie. The last-named, commonly 

 called "squashes," are the produce of the Cucurbita 

 Melopepo. In form they are always flattened, with promi- 

 nent lateral angles or ribs, as in the crown or Turk's cap 

 marrow, occasionally cultivated, for variety's sake, in our 

 own country. The fruit of the C. Pepo. the common 

 pompion, is also good and nutritive when gathered young 

 and properly dressed. 



The renowned "WATER-MELON" (Cucurbita Citrullus), 

 the inside of which resembles pink snow, fast dissolving, 

 belonged originally to tropical Africa. This was the 

 melon of the ancient Egyptians, so missed by the 

 wanderers in the desert. To-day it is universal in the 

 warmer parts of the eastern world. In England grown 

 only, now and then, as a curiosity. 



Not only, in their produce, do the Cucurbits blend the 

 popular conceptions of " fruit " and " vegetable ;" they 

 unite also, above all other families, the ideas of esculent 

 fruits and decorative ones. Upon the borders of large 

 gardens, where space can be allowed, and even in small 

 ones, where arrangements can be made for training upon 

 trellises or other supports, no plants are more interesting 

 or more impressive than the so-called "ornamental 

 gourds." The variety they offer is truly wonderful; 

 many also, after gathering, keep sound all through the 

 winter, and are thus of singular value at Christmas-tide 

 for the embellishment of halls, etc. Among these, again, 

 are found the best illustrations of the prodigious magni- 

 tude attainable by cucurbit fruits. Green and golden 



