68 SQUASHES, HOW TO GROW THEM ETC. 



noting with care at the same time the direction in 

 which the extremity of the vine points. Within twenty- 

 four hours it will be found that the vine has turned 

 from its former course, towards the side on which the 

 shingle is placed, while the tendril has turned towards the 

 shingle and perhaps found and grasped it! In proof that 

 this is no mere chance event, let the slip of shingle be now 

 removed, and placed in the same relation to the vine as 

 before, but on the opposite side. "Within twenty-four 

 hours the vine will be found to have turned from its former 

 course and to be inclined towards the side on which the 

 shingle is placed, while the tendril on that side has shown 

 a corresponding instinct. Then study the tendril. It is 

 most admirably adapted for its office ; it is usually a com- 

 pound spiral, one-half of it winding to the right and the 

 other half of it to the left, thus combining the greatest 

 strength with the greatest possible elasticity. As another 

 illustration of its wonderful instincts, I have seen a squash 

 vine run about ten feet along the surface of the ground, 

 keeping its extremity within a few inches of the surface, 

 until it passed under the projecting limb of a pear tree, 

 which was about four feet above the surface of the earth ; 

 here it stretched up almost vertically towards the tree, 

 until it had almost reached it, when, not having suf- 

 ficient stamina to support it to a further effort, it fell 

 over towards the ground, forming an arch. It imme- 

 diately turned up with a second effort to reach the tree, 

 made a second failure and formed a second arch, and with 

 still another failure a third arch, by which time the ex- 

 tremity had passed out from under the tree, when it kept 

 on its horizontal growth the same as before it had reached 

 the tree! Such instincts are wonderful. How did the vine 

 know the tree was above it, or that the slip of shingle was 

 at either the right or left of it ? 



During the best growing weather the growth of the 

 vine is very rapid. I have found, by actual measurement, 



