Vegetable Marrows. 363 



Preparation of the Land. The Marrow will grow and 

 fruit abundantly in any good well-drained soil, if provided with 

 plenty of manure and moisture at the root, accompanied by an 

 abundance of sunshine. Apart from being a regular field crop, 

 Marrows are set out in all sorts of odd corners and on refuse 

 heaps, where they make the unsightly both beautiful and 

 profitable. As a main-crop, they generally follow one for 

 which a liberal manuring has been given and which is cleared 

 off the ground by the beginning of May ; this allows time, if 

 the work is done immediately, to prepare the land for planting 

 in the latter part of the month. When the ground is cleared, 

 furrows are made with either plough or spade, about 9in. deep 

 and 1ft. wide, which are filled with hot, half-decayed manure. 

 This is well trodden down, after which the soil is turned back 

 over it, forming a ridge. The manure soon generates a gentle 

 bottom heat, which enables the plants to quickly establish 

 themselves. The dis- 

 tance between the 

 furrows depends on 

 the variety to be 

 grown, whether the 

 bush or the trailing 

 Marrow. Between 

 rows of the former 

 the space allowed is 

 4ft., and of the latter, 

 6ft. On very light 

 soils which are liable 

 to soon suffer from 

 drought, the furrows 

 should be broader 

 and deeper, and each 

 should be finished off 

 so that it forms a 

 shallow trench in- copyright, v. A. & Co. 



stead of a ridge ; this White Trailing Marrow ' 



formation ensures more moisture being retained about the 

 plants from every fall of rain. 



Sowing in the Open. The seed may be sown in the position 



