SPRAYING 



Literature. — To say that the literature of spraying 

 is vohmiiuous would but faintly describe the situation 

 Hardly an experiment station in the United States has 

 failed to publish two or three times on this subject. 

 Many of them issue annual "spray calenders." Th* 

 Divisions of Vegetable Pathology and Entomology 

 Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C., havt 

 added a great number of bulletins to the general col 

 lection. One of the first American books, "Pungoui 

 Diseases," 188G, was written by F. Lamson Scribner 

 then of the Division of Veg. Pathology, Washington 



The most notable book which has appeared and the 

 only complete monograph of spraying in existence was 

 published in 1896, the author being E. G. Lodeman, then 

 instructor in horticulture at Cornell University. Of the 

 experiment stations aside from Washington, prominent 

 in reporting field work. New York (Geneva and Cornell), 

 Michigan, Delaware, California, Massachusetts and Ver- 

 mont should be named, although many others have done 

 well. Spraying, though not an American invention, is 

 now distinctly an American practice by adoption and 

 adaptation. John Craig. 



SPREKfiLIA (.J. H. von Sprekelsen, of Hamburg, who 

 sent the plants to Linmeus). Atntirylliddceie. Jaco- 

 bean Lily. A single species from Mexico, a half-hardy 

 bulbous plant with linear, strap-shaped leaves and a 

 hollow cylindrical scape bearing one large showy flower. 

 Perianth strongly declined, tube none; segments nearly 

 equal, the posterior ascending, the inferior concave and 

 enclosing the stamens and ovary: bracts only one, 

 spathe-like; stamens attached at the base of the peri- 

 anth-segments, and somewhat shorter than the segment 

 by which they are enclosed, having a few small scales 

 at the base of the filaments: ovary 3-loculed: style long, 

 slender: seeds compressed ovate or orbicular, black. 



formosissima, Herb. (AmarijUis formosissima. Linn.). 

 Fls. red. B.M. 47. — Var. glatica has somewhat paler and 

 smaller fls. and glaucous Ivs. B.R. 27:1G. For culture, 

 see AmartjUis. P, y^; Barclay. 



SPEING BEAUTY. CUylon. 



SQUASH 1711 



SPURGE. Consult Eiipliorhiu. 



SPURGE, MOUNTAIN. Piuh.isamlra procnmbens. 



SPURGE NETTLE. Jalruph,,. 



SPURRT (Spergula arveusis, which see) has long 

 been grown In Germany, Prance, Holland and Belgium, 

 where its value as a soil renovator and as a forage crop 



2381. 



Y-fixt 



was early recognized. It is an annual, and when sown 

 in the spring matures seed in from ten to twelve weeks 

 from time of sowing. This plant possesses special value 

 as a renovator for sandy soils. It has long been used by 

 the farmers of Holland to hold in place the shifting 

 sands along the seashore. So well adapted is it to sand 

 that it has been termed "the clover of sandy lands." It 

 is not nconiniciKiiil fcr tin- .American farmer except 

 where tin- s,,il is s,, |„„,r tli;it .ilhcr plants fail. In such 

 cireumstaiici s ii may l.r usr.l ;is a cover-crop to plow 

 under. Tin- s,-,.,l ni;iy In- sown :iny time from April to 

 .\ugu.st. but in orchards it luid better be sown in July. 

 Sow at the rate of six i|uarts per acre. The seed being 

 small, it should be lightly harrowed in upon a well- 

 fltted soil. It is very persistent in the production of 

 seed, and upon fertile soils it will maintain itself for 

 several years unless thorough cultivation is given. 

 Where soils are in fair condition and other crops will 

 grow, it is doubtful if Spurry has any place. Some- 

 times written Spurrey. 



A. Clinton. 



SQUASH (Plate XXXVII) is a name adapted from an 

 American Indian word, and is applied in an indefinite 

 way to various plants of the genus Cucnrbita. The 

 application of the name does not conform to the specific 

 lines of the plants. What are called summer Squashes 

 are mostly varieties of Oucttrbita Pepo. The winter 

 Squashes are either C. maxima or C. moschata, chiefly 

 the former. If the name Squash belongs to one species 

 more than to another, this species is probably C. 

 >n'ixim'f. See Cxcitrhita, particularly the note on p. 410. 

 The pictures show some of the forms of these species- 

 Plate XXXVII is the Hubbard Squash, Cucurbita 

 maxima. Fig. 2382 is the Winter or Canada Crookneck, 

 one of the forms of C. moschata. Figs. 2383-88 are 

 forms of the multifari<ius Ciiria-bltn Prpo. Fig. 2388 

 shows the Vegetable Maium, li |.ii/, ,1 in England. 



Squashes and pumpkin- n- i |'l:ints to grow, 



provided they are given • - ii.ksoil. They 



are long-season plants. .III. r i,..,!.,. m i lie North thev 

 are very likely to be .■:,M^:n L, n.,M, liefore the full 

 crop liiis iiKitiinil. iiiiliss 111, phiuts are started early 

 and nnikr a r.-i|iiil ami i-iiijiiiimius growth early in the 

 season. In Imril. rmiirli '-la} lands the plants do not 

 get a fnutlmlii larly rmni^'li to allow them to mature the 

 crop. On such l.-mds it is impossible, also, to plant 

 the seeds early. As a consequence, nearly all Squashes 

 are grown on soils of a loose and relatively light 

 character. Sandy lauds or sandy loams are preferred. 



