Agricultural Research in New Hampshire 51 



time, leaving the seed end separated from the neck, it was found that the 

 neck retained its dry matter content without a great amount of loss, but 

 that black rot attacked this portion of the fruit. The seed end, on the 

 other hand, was not attacked so much by black rot, but the loss in dry 

 matter content was very marked. 



A. F. Yeager, M. C. Richards 



The Department of Agricultural and Biological Chemistry, co-op- 

 erating, examined chemical changes occuring in squash during storage. 

 Aside from contributing to the knowledge of the carbohydrate metab- 

 olism of this fruit, several practical points may be emphasized. In the first 

 instance, there are very large amounts of sugar present at edible maturi- 

 ty. Since the sugars are very soluble, any method of cooking or proces- 

 sing, which allows drainage of water, results in large losses of food value. 



Furthermore, there is a great loss of food carbohydrates during long 

 storage. In six months this amounts to well over half of the amounts 

 present at harvest. Some of this cannot well be prevented, as brief stor- 

 age after harvest is needed to develop satisfactory flavor. The remainder 

 of the loss, however, could be avoided by processing as soon as this stage 

 has been reached. 



Breeding Work 



Early Toviatoes. Much attention has been given during the year 

 to the development of satisfactory early tomatoes with a high vitamin C 

 content, and considerable progress has been made. Selections now avail- 

 able are approaching marketable size and carry a vitamin C content in 

 the summer months of above 50 milligrams per 100 grams, compared to 

 a normal of 20 grams for standard varieties. Continued selection for to- 

 matoes adapted to northern New Hampshire has been made. These are 

 of the determinate plant type and ripen well in the short season north of 

 the White Mountains. For that section a variety with tangerine flesh has 

 been distributed for testing. 



A. F. Yeager 



Muskmelon. An early, high-quality muskmelon, somewhat re- 

 sembling Honey Rock, has been sent out for testing this year under the 

 name Granite State. This is not a perfect-flowered variety. Further se- 

 lections for high-quality, perfect-flowered varieties are continued and 

 some new T crosses between the best perfect-flowered plants and Granite 

 State have been made. 



A. F. Yeager 



Bush Squash. A new variety of winter squash resembling Butter- 

 cup in fruit, but one which sets squash close to the crown similar to bush 

 summer squash has been distributed for testing this year under the name 

 Bush Buttercup. Our stock seed was produced at Colebrook, north of 

 the White Mountains, which indicates that it is adapted to that area where 

 the Blue Hubbard will not mature. 



A. F. Yeager, H. S. Clapp 



