36 SQJASHES, HOW TO GEOW THEM, ETC. 



is to form a string of boys, from the wagon to the 

 shelves, and the squashes are tossed from one to another, 

 with the caution to handle them like eggs. Boys well 

 trained will not drop more than one squash to the ton, and 

 I have known my boys to pass several tons without drop- 

 ping a single squash. 



CARE DURING THE WINTER. 



If the squash-house has been built with reference to 

 warmth^ when once filled with squashes, it is surprising 

 with what little fire frost can be kept out. The mass of 

 squashes are, in themselves, a great store-house of heat, 

 and with inside shutters for the coldest weather, the 

 building is frost proof, with a small outlay of fuel. 



In my own building, capable of storing sixty tons or 

 more, I have a salamander stove of capacity sufficient to 

 hold two hods of coal. In ordinary winter weather two 

 hods of fresh, and a hod of sifted coal for night use, will last 

 about twenty-four hours. To keep the fire over night, I 

 leave the cover off about half an inch, and, if very windy, 

 also put up the door in front within half an inch of closed. 

 When I first attempted to keep squashes during the winter 

 in very cold weather, I frequently sat up till midnight, and 

 then retired with much anxiety, lest Jack Frost should 

 steal a march on me before morning ; but from experience 

 I find that a salamander can be as well regulated and as 

 readily controlled as a Magee stove, while the greater 

 length of funnel that can be used with them, by reason 

 of their superior draft, is a decided advantage. 



No one can keep squashes to the best advantage, until 

 he has fully learned to so control his fire as to keep the 

 temperature near the freezing point, and yet not endanger 

 the squashes. From a want of this knowledge, almost all 

 squash-nouses are kept at too high a temperature, and, as 

 a consequence, the squashes lose in weight and quality, 

 and, if they are Hubbards, in appearance also, losing their 



