AGRICULTURAL TEXT-BOOK. 253 



the soil with dry coal soot once a fortnight. (London Garden* 

 er s Chronicle, May 26, 1853.) 



553. Besides this, onions appear to be free from tire attacks of insecta 

 and disease. It sometimes happens that many of the plants grow with 

 thick stems and small bulba. Those may be left in the ground during 

 the winter. Many of them will stand the frost, and in the spring they 

 may be taken up and set in a bed where they will grow to be good 

 onions. 



559. THE PUMPKIN&quot;, (Cucurlita Pepo,) is the only plant of 

 this family usually cultivated iis afield crop; though in many 

 parts of the United States, the other genera might be grown in 

 the same manner with facility. 



The Cucumber, (Cucumis sativns) ; the Musk Melon, (O. Melo) ; thtf 

 Watr Melon, (G. Citrullu*} , the Round Squash, (Cucurbiia Melopepo)} 

 the Long Squash, (G 7 . verrucosa); the Orange Gourd, (G. aurantia); 

 and the Vegetable Marrow, (C. ovifcra); the Bottle Gourd, (Lagenaria 

 wtlyarinYt the Balsam Apple, (Momordica Bafsamir&amp;gt;a). belong to the 

 game family. Thero are two species indigenous to the northern United 

 States. The One-seeded Star Cucumber. (Sicyot angnlatus) ; and the 

 Wild Balsam Apple, (Echinocystislobuta,) (Gray) The varieties of this 

 family are exceedingly numerous, and they hybridize with great facility, 

 even among different genera, as the cucumber and pumpkin, &amp;lt;te. The 

 Pumpkins and Squashes aie natives of America, and were unknown in 

 Europe previous to the time of Columbus. The early voyagers found 

 thorn in common use among the Indians through the whole extent of 

 country from Florida to Canada, and probably far to the west. Melons 

 arid Gourds are derived from Southern Asia. Persia has long been 

 famous for the former. (Dr. Harris in the Trans, of the Amer.Asso. 

 of Science.) In medicine, Colocynth, (CttCMKU Colocyntlius), and 

 Squirting Cucumber, (Momordico elatcriiim,) belong to this family. 



560. Although this plant is so so generally cultivated, and 

 enters so largely into the winter food of animals and men 

 throughout the Western States, and notwithstanding that it haa 

 acquired a national importance in New England, ve:y little in 

 formation has been collected regarding it, and we are unable to 

 meet with an analysis of it. Cucumbers and melons have been 

 more fortunate, and we skill quote these as presenting a family 



