56 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



His own success was attributable solely to his having provided 

 the watering just when it was needed. He had previousl}' stated 

 his experience with a field of three acres which was on the point of 

 sufl^eriug from drought, and was relieved and made largely profit- 

 able as the result of a single extensive watering. He would 

 also recommend the use of potash — not in a small way, but liber- 

 ally ; a ton to the acre would not be too much. An inch of water 

 once a week will be readih' utilized by the plants. 



"William E. Endicott, though disposed to consider that the 

 green-fleshed melons, as a class, are superior in flavor to others, 

 instanced amongst orr^rige-fleshed varieties, Shaw's Superb, which 

 he thought as good as any of the green-fleshed kinds. This variety 

 grows ver}'^ even in quality ; scarcely any are medium or poor. 

 He also commended the Butman squash as of fine quality and an 

 excellent keeper. He had kept one of these in perfect condition 

 for a 3'ear and a month and twent3--one days. 



James J. H. Gregory said he has an island under cultivation, 

 off Marblehead, where the atmosphere is cooler than on the main 

 land, and cauliflowers there grow to extraordinary size. Experi- 

 mental gardens give very disappointing results as regards this 

 crop, both in respect to its growth in the heads and its 3"ield of 

 seed, which latter varies from sixty pounds to the acre down to a 

 teaspoonful. In some kinds the seed wholly fails to form, this 

 being quite common with the foreign sorts. Home sorts have an 

 abundance. 



He preferred the salmon-fleshed melons to the green-fleshed 

 kinds, as being superior in qualit3\ Many melons are no better 

 than pumpkins, especially the early ones and those brought from 

 the South. Melons should never be gathered till the stem has 

 "sprung" — that is, parted from the fruit — more or less. The 

 public should be educated to know the taste of melons in a state 

 of perfection. We can, if we will, produce the musk varieties to 

 the very best advantage and so as to command the market to the 

 exclusion of all competitors ; but the present practice is to gather 

 the fruit half ripe, which spoils its quality and hurts the market for 

 the native crop. 



The speaker agreed with what had already been said in regard 

 to the quality of the Butman squash. This should be allowed 

 time to harden its shell before being gathered ; it should have the 

 whole season for it, and should have an abundant provision of 



