SQUASHES, HOW TO GROW THEM, ETC. 15 



this is quite a serious objection, for, in fact, I have found 

 it almost impossible to keep squashes pure, where animal 

 manure is used in the hill. I manure in the hill, or drill, 

 with the most highly concentrated manures to be pro- 

 cured, such as guano, superphosphate of lime, or fish gu- 

 ano. The reason for using highly stimulating manure in 

 the hill is, to. give the plants a quick start when young, 

 that they may grow beyond injury from the ravages of 

 the striped bug. 



There is danger in using highly concentrated manures in 

 the hill, that the roots of the young plants be destroyed 

 — " burned " is the farmer's phrase ; to prevent this, they 

 should be most thoroughly stirred in with the soil. My 

 practice is, to take such manure in a wooden bucket, and 

 passing from hill to hill, scatter, if phosphates, as much as 

 I can take up in a half closed hand ; if Peruvian guano, 

 about half as much, over a circle of about two feet in di- 

 ameter. A man follows immediately after with a six-tined 

 fork; he is directed to turn it just under the surface, and 

 then draw his fork across the hill three times, and again 

 three times at right angles with the first direction, ending 

 with planting the fork in the middle of the hill, and giving 

 it a twist around. I am thus particular in my directions, 

 because day laborers seldom realize the corrosive effects 

 of these highly concentrated fertilizers. After my man, 

 a boy follows to plant the seed ; he sweeps a circle with 

 his finger around each hill, as he finishes planting. 



After the vines have got so far along as to show their 

 runners, I top dress the surface with hen manure, or some 

 of the special manures above mentioned, and immediately 

 follow with the cultivator. 



It will be perceived that my system of manuring is 

 based upon the theory that vines pi-efer their food near 

 the surface of the ground. I draw this inference from the 

 fact, that vines are great lovers of heat, being quite sen- 

 sitive to changes of temperature, and also from tracing 



