192 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



$123 75 

 $156 25 



Statement of J. J. H. Gregory. 



Squashes. — The piece of land I enter for premium, for 

 squashes, was planted towards the close of May, with Boston 

 Marrow squash, the hills being about eight by nine. After the 

 plants had developed the sixth leaf, they were thinned to two 

 and three plants per hill. In the course of the season the crop 

 received three cultivatings and three hoeings. The crop was 

 well ripened, of even size, averaging about ten pounds per 

 squash, and showing all the outward characteristics of purity. 



In the year 1858 this tract was in grass ; in 1859 it was 

 planted with the Hubbard squash, after a very heavy manuring 

 of about eighteen cords per acre of various manures, princi- 

 pally barnyard. In the year 1860 the crop was cabbages, the 

 manure, at the rate of about eight cords per acre, being barn- 

 yard, sea manure and unleached ashes. In 1861 the crop was 

 seed cabbage, the manure being cow and hog manure, at the 

 rate of eight cords per acre. This season the only manure 

 applied was a handful of Coe's super-phosphate to the hill. In 

 the early part of the season I had considerable trouble from the 

 small striped bug ; the recourse for preventing their depreda- 

 tions was air slacked lime applied to the leaves while moist. 

 The large black bug, known as " stinking " bug, or " pumpkin " 

 bug, is properly a pumpkin bug, almost entirely disappearing 

 after the cultivation of the punipkin is given vp in any locality. 

 1 have found but two of them on my squash vines for the past 

 three years. 



Marblehead, November 8, 1862. 



