VEGETABLE PLANTS. 9! 



Either of the above will keep well till spring, 

 providing you have enough so that the cook 

 will leave a few until then. Squashes require 

 a light, dry, rich soil. Do not depend upon a 

 half-bushel of rich soil in the hill, thinking that 

 will give them sustenance sufficient to enable 

 them to run over poor ground. You will never 

 try that plan but once. It will not be success- 

 ful, for this reason : not only are the main roots 

 very long, but the vine does not depend en- 

 tirely upon them for its support. At every 

 joint \vhere the vine branches out, a new root 

 strikes, down for nutriment. 



The squash is a rank feeder, and requires 

 heavy manuring to enable it to perfect its crop 

 between frosts. It is therefore a safe rule to 

 apply at least one half of the allotment of ma- 

 nure broadcast, and one half in the hill. 



Our seasons are seldom long enough to en- 

 able them to perfect their growth. It is there- 

 fore desirable to plant earlier than the late 

 frosts in spring will allow without protection. 

 One of the cheapest and most satisfactory 

 plans we have seen* for accomplishing this, is 

 to take a block not over eight or ten inches in 

 diameter, place it on the hill over the seeds 

 after planting, and with a hoe draw the earth 



