THE SQUASH. 207 



The quality of the Cocoa-nut Squash is extremely varia- 

 ble. Sometimes the flesh is fine-grained, dry, sweet, and of 

 a rich, nut-like flavor ; but well-developed and apparently 

 well-matured specimens are often coarse, fibrous, watery, and 

 unfit for table use. The variety ripens in September, and 

 will keep till March or April. 



Plant healthy and of vigorous habit, often Custard 



Squash. 



twenty feet and upwards in length ; fruit ob- 

 long, gathered in deep folds or wrinkles at the stem, near 



Custard Squash. 



which it is the smallest, abruptly shortened at the opposite 

 extremity, prominently marked by large, rounded, length- 

 wise elevations, and corresponding deep furrows or depres- 

 sions ; skin, or shell, cream-white ; flesh pale yellow, not 

 remarkable for solidity, or fineness of texture, but well 

 flavored ; the seeds are yellowish-white, and readily distin- 

 guished from those of other varieties by their long and nar- 

 row form. Under favorable conditions of soil and season, 

 the Custard Squash attains a large size ; often measuring 

 twenty inches and upwards in length, eight or ten inches 

 in diameter, and weighing from eighteen to twenty-five 

 pounds. 



