SECRETARY'S REPORT. 207 



cases, in planting the Lima Bean, for instance, the best way is 

 said to be to lay them on the top of the ground, which probably 

 means to give them the lightest covering possible to secure 

 sprouting. A strong compost made of night soil and common 

 earth, is a valuable dressing, causing a rapid and luxuriant 

 development of the seed-leaves, thereby lessening the chances 

 of injury from insects, while the manure itself is said to have 

 the effect of driving them away. The critical time for the 

 squash is just at this period. Its enemies are the striped and 

 the so called squash bug. A pretty effectual way of destroying 

 the latter, and to some extent the former, is to lay a broad 

 shingle by the side of each hill as soon as the plants are up. 

 The bugs seek the under side of the shingle for shelter in the 

 night, and are easily killed early in the morning. From the 

 fact that tlie striped bug commits its depredations on the under 

 side of the leaf, it is difficult to reach it. Soot, lime, elder 

 leaves, ashes, plaster, charcoal-dust, &c., are recommended. 

 We have seen, within the past year, a pyramid-shaped net, 

 with a stake at each corner for fastening* it into the ground, 

 which miust be a very good protection, and would not be 

 expensive for ordinary garden purposes. 



If the crop escapes injury from insects, its growth is rapid. 

 The plants should be thinned down to three or four to the hill, 

 and the ground kept clean by frequent stirring, until the vines 

 cover the surface. 



Before the frost comes, the squashes should be picked and 

 removed to some cool dry place. Tliey should be handled witli 

 care, and should not be laid in large piles, as every bruise 

 injures their keeping qualities. 



They are best preserved in the winter in a dry atmosphere, 

 with a temperature uniform, and but little above the freezing- 

 point. Large cultivators are in the practice of fitting up 

 buildings for this particular purpose, where the squashes are 

 arranged on shelves, so they can be easily examined, and 

 where, of course, the temperature is regulated by artificial 

 heat. 



In our enumeration of varieties, not only of the squash, but 

 of the onion and cabbage, we have purposely omitted, not only 

 the description but the names of a large number, choosing 

 rather to turn attention to a few well-known and standard 



