SQUASHES, HOW TO GEOW THEM, ETC. 9 



been in the habit of putting layer with layer in a wheel- 

 barrow, hurrying it to the hills, and then covering it im- 

 mediately with soil. Even with all possible hurrying of 

 matters, the strong, pungent smell of the escaping am- 

 monia could be readily detected. 



Wood ashes, mixed with fresh night soil in the hill, 

 is considerably worse than nothing. Some years ago, 

 aiming to grow some extra large specimens, I selected a 

 favorable location, opened several large hills, and poured 

 into each about a couple of bushels of night soil. Into 

 this I stirred a liberal quantity of wood ashes, acting on 

 the theory that its alkaline properties would serve as a 

 corrective of the rank crudeness of the night soil. I pull- 

 ed the earth over the hills, and planted my seed. The 

 seed vegetated, but the young plants soon came to a stand 

 still. I applied a little fresh soil to the roots, thinking the 

 manure below might be too strong for the young rootlets 

 to absorb. Still, there was no growth ; soon the leaves 

 turned yellow, and the plants died. I opened one hill to 

 find the cause, and there I found cause enough in the 

 presence of a mass having about the size and appearance 

 of an ordinary grindstone ; the ashes and night soil in 

 combination had made a hard cement, and the entire con- 

 tents of each hill could be rolled out in one cake. 



HOW MUCH MANURE? 



Those who, under the stimulus of a city market, follow 

 market gardening, soon learn one truth that may be set 

 down as an axiom for successful gardening, viz. : that 

 other things equal, it is the'last cord of manure that gives 

 the profits. There is but very little danger of giving too 

 much manure to your squash ground, provided the hills 

 are made at a proper distance apart, and the vines are not 

 too numerous. 



No prudent man will plant squashes with less than four 

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