SQUASH SQUIER. 



571 



came an usher at Newmarket. In 1850 lie became a beaus, the latest vegetable to be planted, light soils 

 Baptist, and soon began to preach with such force being best suited to their cultivation, 

 that in 1852 lie was made pastor of a church at | There arc two broad varieties of squashes, tho 

 Wa'erbeach. In the next year he was called to sup- bush squashes, of eaiiy summer ripening, and tho 

 ply New Park Street Chapel, London, and in a few late or winter squashes. The vines of the bush 

 months a sermon of his was printed, thus inaugurat- ! or early varieties have lost much of their running 

 ing a practice which has resulted in the circulation habit, and grow in a somewhat bush-like compact- 

 of millions of his discourses. The chapel, proving* ness, while the late varieties have vines of 12 feet 

 too small for the increased congregation, was en- [ or more in length, which send down secondary roots 

 largefl, and in 1861 the Metropolitan Tabernacle was at their joints. In planting, the bush squashes 

 opened, having seats for 5500 persons. Though its | are sown in hills 3 or 4 feet apart, the running 

 cost exceeded $150,000, it was free of debt. In con- squashes G to 8 feet apart. Eight or ten seeds are 

 nection with this church there are numerous mis- sown in each hill, the plants being afterward reduced 

 sionary, educational, and philanthropic agencies, to three or four of the strongest. Squashes are grown 

 The Pastors' College, intended to fit young men for | extensively for market, and the early varieties are 

 ministerial work, began in 1855, and has a special j raised in large quantities in the vicinity of Norfolk, 

 building, erected in 1874. The Stockwell Orphan- 1 Charleston, and Savannah for shipment to the North, 

 age sprang from a gift of 20,000 made by a lady to ! reaching market two or three weeks before the North- 

 Spurgeon for this work. At first boys only were ad- 1 ern squashes are ripe. 



mitted, but since 1879 girls also are received. There It is not positively known that there are any species 

 are now about 240 boys and 230 girls supported, the of squashes native to the United States, though there 

 most needy having the preference. The church has is reason to believe that this is the case. Eoger 

 also its almshouses and day-school, and carries on Williams and other early writers of New England 

 colportage in the villages of England. Mr. Spur- speak of the general culture of some varieties by tho 



goon has an effiVient helper in his wife, to whom he 

 was married in 1856, and his brother, James Archer 

 Spurgeon (b. 1837), has been his associate in the pas- 



Indians. Ono species, C. ovi/era, is found wild in 

 Texas. It is cultivated principally for ornamental 

 purposes, under the names of mock orange, orange 



torate since 1868. His twin sons, Charles and | gourd, etc., and is occasionally eaten young, as the 

 Thomas, have become Baptist preachers, tho former egg-squash. Gray thinks it may be the original of all 

 at Greenwich, England, the latter at Auckland. New the crook-necked squashes, the vegetable marrows, 

 Zealand. Spurgeon's publications comprise, The Neio ' and even the common pumpkins. There are very 

 Park Street Pulpit, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pul- many varieties of squashes in cultivation, though it 

 pit, The Treasury of David, a commentary on the is difficult to keep any kind pure, on account of 

 Psalms (7 vols.), Lectures to my Students, Joint Plour/h- their readiness of intercrossing. Of the bush varie- 

 man's Talk, and John Ploughman's Pictures. The ties those most commonly grown bear a fruit of 

 last two, homely in style and pungent in matter, ! partly hemispherical shape, with an expanded and 

 have attained a circulation of 350,000 copies. Mr. flattened edge which is deeply and regularly scal- 

 Spurgeon's religious monthly magazine, called The loped. These vary considerably in color, are the 

 Sword and Trowel, gives information of the various earliest to ripen, and are planted almost exclusively 

 enterprises in conuection, with his church. The ! for the first crop, while their hard rind adapts them 

 power exerted by Spurgeon, both in the pulpit and j well to shipment. The Summer Crook-neck is 

 through the press, has been abundantly acknowledged | highly esteemed, and the best in yield of the sum- 

 not only by those favorable to his methods but by mer varieties. It is about 8 inches long, tapering 

 those indifferent and hostile. The London Times and curved toward the stem, the skin bright yellow 

 has been led to ask why St. Paul's and Westminster in color, with warty protuberances. The Boston 

 Abbey should remain comparatively empty while Marrow, which ripens about ten days after the abovo, 

 this dissenter should gather around him 10,000 has an orange-yellow, very thin rind, and is of un- 

 people every Sunday. The Daily Telegraph and surpassed flavor. The fruit is egg-shaped, with both 

 the Suturdrii/ Review have borne testimony to his j ends pointed. 



efficiency. His success is due to hN intense ear- 1 Of the fall and winter varieties the Essex Hybrid 

 nestness and sincerity, assisted by his simple, idio- j is of excellent flavor and is unexcelled in winter- 

 matic language and his impressive delivery. Fully I keeping qualities. The Hubbard is far more exten- 



convinced of the truth of his utterances, he presses 

 the message of Christianity on the hearts of the 

 people. 



SQUASH, the name commonly given to several 



sively grown as a late variety than any other. It is 

 of large size, often weighing 9 or 10 Ibs., of bluish- 

 green color, and of superior quality. In some of the 

 Eastern States the Winter Crook-neck is largely 



species of the gourd family, genus Cucurbita, the I grown for winter supply. The Mammoth Chili is a 

 title being derived from the final syllable of the Ind- 1 variety which attains an immense size, often weigh- 

 ian came for the plant, Alkvlatquath. The words ' ing as much as 200 Ibs. It is excellent for all pur- 

 squash and pumpkin are used somewhat indiscrimi- 1 poses. In England the favorite variety of the 

 nately in the United States, large varieties of the ] squash is that known as the Vegetable Marrow, 

 squash being ordinarily called pumpkin, without at- , which is distinct in character from all the preced- 

 tention to specific characters. It is very difficult, j ing. The fruit varies considerably in size, ranging 

 indeed, to define the species of squashes, or to trace from 9 to 18 inches in length, and from 4 to 6 inches 

 the cultivated varieties to the original species, the in diameter. The skin is of a greenish-yellow color, 

 plants hybridizing so readily as to confuse all dis- I the flesh white, soft, and of a rich flavor. We have 

 tinctions. The squashes are said to be of wider va- ! named here but a few of the very many varieties of 

 riety in kinds, fitted for more varied uses, and found ! the squash, but the above are those most widely 

 in a better state of perfection under all conditions of grown and highly esteemed at present. They are 

 weather, than perhaps any other garden product. , used largely on American tables, cooked as a vege- 

 Beiug of tropical origin, their growth is consum- j table, as a constituent of pies, and prepared in other 

 mated during the summer, yet the fruit of the late modes, and form a very important member of our 



varieties can be kept, with a little care, through the i food products. 



winter, and until the following May. They are all 

 of luxuriant and vigorous growth, and will do well 

 in almost any soil, though they respond very readily 



(c. M.) 



SQUIER, EPHBAIM GEOKOE (1821-1888), traveller 

 and archteologist, was born at Bethlehem, N. Y., 

 June 17, 1821. In youth he worked on a farm, 



to generous fertilization. They are, next to Lima ! taught school, then edited country newspapers, and 



