290 VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



of the East, gourds are sufficiently large to support 

 a man in the water, who floats upon a cross bar 

 fastened to the top of two of vast dimensions. 



Vegetable marrow ( Cucurbita succada) is a very 

 important gourd; and though it has been but lately 

 introduced into this country, it is already cultivated 

 to a considerable extent. It is straw coloured, of an 

 oval or elongated shape, and when full grown attains 

 the length of about nine inches. When very young, 

 it eats well fried in butter; when half grown, it may 

 be cooked in a variety of ways, and is peculiarly soft 

 and rich, having an oily and almost an animal fla- 

 vour; when fully matured, it may be made into pies, 

 for which purpose it is much superior to any of the 

 other gourds. But it is in the intermediate or half 

 grown state only that it deserves its common appel- 

 lation of vegetable marrow. The vegetable marrow 

 gourd is a native of Persia; but if the soil on which 

 it is placed be rich and warm enough, it thrives very 

 well with us in the open air. 



" I have been able," says Mr. Sabine, " to obtain 

 but very imperfect accounts of the origin of this 

 gourd. It was certainly new in this country within 

 a few years; and I think the most probable account, 

 of the many that I have heard, of its introduction, is, 

 that the first seeds were brought here in one of our 

 East India Ships, and came probably from Persia, 

 where, as I am told, it is known, and called Cicader. 

 Its cultivation is easy." If any other kind of gourd 

 grow in the neighbourhood, no reliance can be placed 

 on the goodness of the seed of the vegetable marrow. 



The Water-melon {Cucurbita Citrullus), though 

 not much cultivated in this country, is one of the 

 most valuable vegetables in warm and arid climates, 

 answering there both for food and drink. The fruit 



