'42 ESSEX SOCIETY, 



agreeable to animals, as well as to men; it therefore must be an 

 object worthy of culture. It can be grown, wherever the land 

 is in good condition, and the vigilance of the laborer is in ad- 

 vance OF THE BUGS. We Icam, from the best authority, (Dr. T. 

 W. Harris, of Cambridge, Mass.,) that it has been a prevalent 

 opinion among botanists, that pumpkins and squashes were 

 natives of the eastern continent, from whence they were intro- 

 duced into America by Europeans. But he is satisfied that they 

 did not begin to be known in Europe, before the discovery of 

 America; and that various kinds of them were found by the 

 first discoverers and first settlers in different parts of North and 

 South America, where they were extensively cultivated by the 

 Indian inhabitants as articles of food. Several kinds had been 

 introduced into Europe, before the settlement of New England. 

 In England, they bore, generally, the name of pumpkins, from 

 which winter squashes were not particularly distinguished by 

 name. The word squash, originally applied to the summer 

 squashes, is derived from the Indian name of the same kind of 

 fruit, as we learn from Roger Williams and others. They were 

 found at Montreal in 1535, at Florida in 1539, at Virginia in 

 1585, at Martha's Vineyard in 1603. Our fathers made great 

 account of fruits of this kind. Says Capt. Johnson : — '• Let no 

 man make a jest of pumpkins, for with this fruit the Lord was 

 pleased to feed his people to their good content, till corn and 

 cattle were increased." So we see, that our fathers were not 

 limited in their diet, to clams and fishes, but had a plenty of 



SQUASHES, ALSO. 



We had contemplated remarks on other classes of vegetables 

 exhibited ; such as beets, cabbages, turnips, carrots and 

 onions; but have only time to say, that the splendid strings of 

 onions displayed were indicative of the superlative crops of the 

 present season ; which have grown in the town of Danvers and 

 vicinity alone, one hundred thousand barrels, worth at least, 

 as many dollars. 



J. W. PROCTOR, Chairman. 



Thaddeus W. Harris's Letter. 

 J. W. Proctor, Esq.,— Dear Sir :— Last evening your box and 

 squashes came safe to hand. I am much obliged to you for 



