Introduction, etc. 33 



the garden ; yet, as a rule, it is seldom used. 

 There is no natural order more wonderful in the 

 variety and singular shapes of its fruit than that 

 to which the melon, cucumber, and vegetable 

 marrow belong. From the writhing Snake-cucum- 

 ber, which hangs down four or five feet long from 

 its stem, to the round enormous giant pumpkin 

 or gourd, the grotesque variation, both in colour 

 and shape and size, is marvellous. There are 

 some pretty little gourds which do not weigh 

 more than half an ounce when ripe ; while, on 

 the other hand, there are kinds with fruit almost 

 large enough to make a sponge bath. Eggs, 

 bottles, gooseberries, clubs, caskets, folded um- 

 brellas, balls, vases, urns, small balloons, all have 

 their likenesses in the gourd family. Those who 

 have seen a good collection of them will be able 

 to understand Nathaniel Hawthorne's enthusiasm 

 about these quaint and graceful vegetable forms 

 when he says : " A hundred gourds in my gar- 

 den were worthy, in my eyes at least, of being 

 rendered indestructible in marble. If ever Provi- 

 dence (but I know it never will) should assign me 

 a superfluity of gold, part of it shall be expended 

 for a service of plate, or most delicate porcelain, 

 to be wrought into the shape of gourds gathered 



