8 SQUASHES, HOW TO GROW THEM, ETC. 



for the crop being what it can gather from the decay of 

 the fresh turned sod. Under such treatment, the cnyp is 

 small, the squashes small, and the general result unsatis- 

 factory. Another error of the opposite extreme is one 

 often committed by market gardeners, who have learned 

 that no paying crop can be grown without liberal feeding 

 — who give all the food necessary, but do not allow suf- 

 ficient room for the extra growth of vines under such cul- 

 ture. Of this latter error I propose to treat under the 

 head of "Planting the Seed." 



Night soil should be used, mixed with muck and other 

 manures, in the form of a compost. It may, however, be 

 applied fresh, directly to the hill, if sufficient care is taken 

 to mix it thoroughly with the soil. Some years ago, I 

 broke up a piece of land in the spring of the year for 

 squashes, and the location being difficult of access, I used 

 night soil from a vault on the premises, pouring about two 

 bushels into each hill. After we had finished manuring, I 

 sent my hired man, stout Jim Lane, around with his hoe 

 to mix it thoroughly with the soil in the hills. When 

 Jim came back, saying the thing had been thoroughly 

 done, I send him around a second time, to give it another 

 mixing up, and, on his return, sent him around the third 

 time, though the old fellow assured me that it couldn't be 

 improved on, and I had no doubt he had done his work 

 well each time, but, with two bushels of fresh night soil 

 in each, I knew that all the danger lay in one direction. 

 The result was, the vines came up a rich, dark-green, and 

 took right hold of their food. 



With the exception of barn manure, it is necessary that 

 each of the manures mentioned above should be well 

 mixed in the soil when used in the hill. When wood 

 ashes are used, they should not be mixed with other manure, 

 until just as it is applied, as this would injure the value of 

 the manure, by setting free the ammonia. When I have 

 used ashes in connection with Peruvian guano, I have 



