Agricultural Research l\ New Hampshire 55 



ported previously for barley and sunflower in synthesized soil. Tomatoes 

 in soil culture gave a difference in varietal response. The late variety 

 yielded better in the sandy loam while the early did better in clay. 



The sand cultures gave results similar to those of previous years bv 

 giving greater yield with fine texture. This relationship was not altered 

 by added colloids. Up to the time they approached maturity, tomato 

 plants in sand cultures with added methocel grew better than those with- 

 out. From then on, apparently, water was withheld from the plant suffi- 

 ciently to cause some wilting and retardation of growth. 



Stuart Dunn 



VEGETABLE PRODUCTION 



Factors Affecting the Storage of Squash 



The results of current investigations concerned with factors affect- 

 ing the keeping qualities of stored squash agree with previous recom- 

 mendations. These follow in brief: ( 1 ) cut stems short, ( 2 ) move imme- 

 diately to storage, ( 3 ) heat the storage for a curing period of two weeks, 

 (4) maintain permanent storage temperature at 50" to 60°F, (5) frost 

 and bruising are more serious than cuts, (6) molds develop under cold 

 storage conditions even though the air is kept dry, (7) squash lose more 

 than one-half their food value within a few months although the weight 

 is reduced only 15 per cent, (8) freezing or canning should be done with- 

 in a few months after harvest. 



The Department of Agricultural and Biological Chemistrv, coop- 

 erating, finds that nearly two-thirds of the food carbohydrates \\-ere lost 

 during six months of storage, based on change in weight of the whole 

 squash and on an analysis of the edible portion. To determine changes 

 in other parts of the fruit, the fiber and seeds \\'ere separated, weighed 

 and sampled, and the edible portion was sampled. No quantitative method 

 could be devised for separating the skin, thus, its weight was included 

 with that of the edible portion, though it was not included in the sample 

 analyzed. 



Samples of three varieties (Blue Hubbard, Buttercup and Butternut) 

 were taken at harvest and after two \\'eeks' and three months' storage, 

 and of Blue Hubbard after six months' storage. Analysis of 30 or more 

 samples is in progress. 



A. F. Yeager, T. G. Phillips, M. C. Richards, R. Eggert 



Varietal and Cultural Investigation 



The northern New Hampshire trials at Colebrook have revealed a 

 few facts of considerable interest. The White Mountain watermelon, 

 recently developed at the Experiment Station, ripened successfullv at 

 Colebrook. Production of Early Chatham tomato has been successful and 

 it is hoped that the Bush Buttercup squash will prove itself during 1945. 

 It was observed that newly broken ground was not so inducive to good 

 beet production as ground that had been cultivated for some two or three 

 years. 



