330 THE YEAR-BOOK OF AGRICULTURE. 



table, can hardly tell what to ask for at the seed-stores, or what will be the character of his 

 crops when obtained. 



The following communication from Dr. T. W. Harris, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, to 

 the Pennsylvania Farm Journal, furnishes much desirable information respecting the origin, 

 qualities, and uses of the several varieties of these vegetables : 



In September, 1834, Mr. John M. Ives, of Salem, Massachusetts, exhibited in Faneuil 

 Hall, Boston, a new squash, to which he subsequently gave the name of fhe "Autumnal 

 Marrow Squash." This fruit, thus introduced and brought into notice, soon became a great 

 favorite, and has ever since been extensively cultivated for table use, as a sauce and for pics, 

 in the vicinity of Boston. So popular has it become in the market of Boston, that it may 

 well be called "the Boston Squash," though I never heard that name applied to it. Mr. 

 Ives, in his description of it, called it a variety of Cucurbita melopepo, which is an error. If 

 not a mere variety of Commodore Porter's Valparaiso squash, it doubtless descended from 

 the same stock as the latter. It must not be confounded with the kind cultivated in England 

 under the name of "Vegetable Marrow" a very poor vegetable, as I am assured by friends 

 who have eaten it in London and apparently one of the sorts which in New England would 

 be called summer squashes. The "Autumnal Marrow" is eaten only when fully ripe; the 

 " Vegetable Marrow," like " Cymlings," is eaten only in an unripe state. The former comes 

 into eating in September, but may be kept with care till March. When pure or unmixed 

 by crossing with other kinds, it is considered as the very best autumnal and winter squash 

 in New England. Many cultivators have allowed it to degenerate or become mixed with 

 the larger and grosser Valparaiso, so that we do not often find it in entire purity in our 

 markets. It generally has only three double rows of seeds. 



I am not sure what is the fruit denominated Connecticut Field pumpkin, and the cheese 

 pumpkin is unknown to me except by its name in catalogues. 



The Valparaiso squashes, of which there seem to be several varieties, known to culti- 

 vators by many different names, some of them merely local in their application, belong to 

 a peculiar group of the genus Cucurbita, the distinguishing characters of which have not 

 been fully described by botanists. The word squash, as applied to these fruits, is a mia- 

 nomer, as may be shown hereafter ; it would be well to drop it entirely, and to call the 

 fruits of this group pompions, pumpkins, or potirons. It is my belief that they were 

 originally indigenous to the tropical and subtropical parts of the western coast of America ; 

 they are extensively cultivated from Chili to California, and also in the West Indies, whence 

 enormous specimens are sometimes brought to the Atlantic States. How much soever 

 these Valparaiso pumpkins may differ in form, size, color, and quality, they all agree in 

 certain peculiarities that are found in no other species or varieties of Cucurbita. Their 

 leaves are never deeply lobed like those of other pumpkins and squashes, but are more 

 or less five-angled, or almost rounded, and heart-shaped at base; they are also softer 

 than those of other pumpkins and squashes. The summit or blossom-end of the fruit has 

 a nipple-like projection upon it, consisting of the permanent fleshy stile. The fruit-stalk 

 is short, nearly cylindrical, never deeply five-furrowed, but merely longitudinally striated 

 or wrinkled, and never clavated or enlarged with projecting angles next to the fruit. 

 With few exceptions, they contain four or five double rows of seeds. To this group belong 

 Mr. Ives' autumnal marrow squash (or pumpkin) before named, Com. Porter's Valparaiso 

 squash, (pumpkin,) the so-called mammoth pumpkin or Cucurbita maxima of the botanists, 

 the turban squash or acorn squash, Cucurbita piliformis of Duchesne, the Cashew pumpkin, 

 Cole's Connecticut pie-squash, Stetson's Cuba squash, and his hybrid called the Wilder 

 squash, with various others. 



The variety introduced from Valparaiso by Com. Porter became known to me about the 

 year 1830, since which time it has been more or less cultivated in New England, both for 

 the table and for stock. It is of an oblong, oval shape, of a pale reddish-yellow color exter- 

 nally when ripe, nearly smooth, and very slightly furrowed, and often grows to a large size. 

 It readily mixes with the autumnal marrow, but is inferior to it in quality. It may prove 

 better and more valuable in the Middle and Southern States than in New England. 



The turban, sometimes called the acorn squash, because when the fruit is small it 



