52 EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 354 



grown under better light conditions and without toxic, showed that coarse 

 fractions of the coarse soil had a definite advantage. This is contrary to 

 the results obtained with tomatoes when a greater yield was obtained with 

 clay. This finding, however, is consistent with the general tendencies of 

 corn in sand and water cultures in which the yield differed from that of 

 cabbage, especially with aeration. 



Sand and water cultures of cabbage and tomatoes were grown in coarse 

 sand and fine sand with aeration. To some of these were added colloidal 

 clay previously purified b}^ electrodialysis. For cabbage, there was greater 

 yield from the cultures with colloidal clay except in coarse sand. In each 

 case the yields were of this order : greatest with solution only, fine sand 

 next, coarse sand least. The results with tomatoes were similar. 



S. Dunn 



VEGETABLE PRODUCTION 



Factors Affecting the Storage of Squash 



Storage is an important phase of winter squash production. Inasmuch 

 as most of the squash are consumed after harvest, it is important to the 

 home gardener as well as to the commercial producer. Many technical as- 

 pects are involved and, accordingly, five departments are co-operating in 

 this investigation ; namely. Horticulture, Plant Pathology, Entomology, 

 Chemistry, and Home Economics. The metohds of handling and curing 

 the eft'ects of ' temperature and humidity on keeping qualities, chemical 

 changes, palatability. insects and diseases are all involved. A brief sum- 

 mary of some of the conclusions and recommendations follows : 



1. Handle with much care; bruises are a cause of rapid deterioration. 



2. Sell oversized squash first ; immature squash can be stored but 

 quality is poor. 



3. Cut stems close to the squash ; this practice is found to reduce 

 disease. 



4. Store immediately after harvest ; if field piling is necessary, hay 

 is preferable to squash vines for covering. 



5. Keep the storage space dry and well ventilated and at a moderate 

 temperature. Black rot and rhizopus are encouraged at high temperatures, 

 while fusarium and alternaria develop at temperatures near freezing; 

 fungicides have not proven beneficial. 



6. Home gardeners (and others) should can squash four or five 

 weeks after harvest at which time the sugar content is highest, and after 

 which rapid deterioration occurs. 



A. F. Yeager, M. C. Richards, J. G. Conklin, 

 T. G. Phillips, T. Levcowich 



Variety Trials in Northern New Hampshire 



Because of the difi^erences in climate in northern New Hampshire, 

 compared to that of the mountains, a trial plot has been established near 

 Colel)rook on which new varieties from the University of New Hampshire 

 and from other selected sources are compared in order to determine which 



