SQUASH 



be killed with very heavy applications of ; 

 applications so strong that they may even injure the 

 plants. Sometimes the hills of Squashes are covered 

 with wire gauze or mosquito netting that is held above 

 the earth by means of hoops stuck into the ground. 

 This affords a good protection from insects that arrive 

 from the outside, providing the edges are thoroughly 

 covered with earth so that the insects cannot crawl 

 under; but if the insects should come from the ground 

 beneath the covers they will destroy the plants, not be- 

 ing able to escape. The Squash bug or stink bug may 

 be handled in the same way as the striped cucumber 

 beetle. This insect, however, remains throughout the 

 season and, in many cases, it is necessary to resort 

 to hand-picking. The insects delight to crawl under 

 chips or pieces of board at night, and this fact may be 

 utilized in catching them. The mildews of Squashes 

 may be kept in check with more or less certainty by 

 the use of Bordeaux mixture or ammoniacal carbonate 

 of copper. 



The varieties of pumpkins and Squashes are numer- 

 ous, and it is difficult to keep them pure if various 

 kinds are grown together. However, the true Squashes 

 iCucwrbita maxima) do not hybridize with the true 

 pumpkin species {Cucurbita Pepo). There need be no 

 fear, therefore, of mixing between the Crookneck or 

 Scallop Squashes and the varieties of Hubbard or Mar- 



STACHYS 



1713 



row types. The summer or bush Squashes are of three 

 general classes: the Crooknecks, the Scallop or Patty- 

 pan varieties, and the Pineapple or oblong-conical va- 

 rieties. All these are forms of C. Pepo. The fall and 

 winter varieties may be thrown into several groups: the 

 true field pumpkin, of which the Connecticut Field is 

 the leading representative, being the one that is com- 

 monly used for stock and ^orpies; the Canada Crook- 

 neck or Cushaw types, which are varieties of C. mns- 

 chata; the Marrow and Marblehead types, which are the 

 leading winter Squashes and are varieties of the C. 

 maxima: the Turban Squashes, which have a "Squash 

 within a Squash " and are also varieties of C. maxima. 

 The raaniraoth pumpkins or Squashes which are some- 

 times grown for exhibition and which may weigh two or 

 three hundred pounds, are forms of C. maxima. 



Thoroughly sound and mature Squashes can be kept 

 until the holidays, and even longer, if stored in a 

 room that is heated to 20° above freezing. If the 

 Squashes are not carefully handled the inside of the 

 fruit is likely to crack. Squashes that have been shipped 

 by rail seldom keep well. The philosophy of keeping a 

 winter Squash is to prevent the access of germs (avoid 

 all bruises and cracks and allow the end of the stem to 

 dry up), and then to keep the air dry and fairly warm. 

 The fruits are usually stored on shelves in a heated shed 

 or outhouse. The following advice is given for this occa- 

 sion by W. W. Rawson: "Cut the Squashes just before 

 they are thoroughly ripe. Be careful not to start the stem 

 in the Squash. Lay them on the ground one deep and let 



them dry in the sun two or three days before bringing 



to the building. Handle very carefully when putting in, 



and be sure that the wagon in which they are carried has 



springs. Put them two deep on shelves in a building. 



This should be done on a cool, dry day. If the weather 



continues cool and dry, 



keep them well aired by 



day; but if damp weather 



comes build a small fire in 



the stove in order to dry 



outthe green stems. Keep 



the temperature about 50°, 



and air well in dry 



weather. The Squashes 



may need picking over 



about Christmas if put in 



the building about October 



1; handle very carefully 



when picking over. Fifty 



tons can be kept in a single 



building with a small fire. 



Do not Ictthoni fnczp.but 



to40-:il I'ln,,'^ ir«ill .1.1 no 

 harm; ii"i- -li..ulit ii be allowed to go as high as 70°. 

 The IluM.anI Sqinish keeps best and longest and does 

 not shrink in weight as much as other kinds, but any 

 of them will shrink 20 per cent if kept until January 1." 



SftUAW BERKY. Mitcliella repens. 



SQUILL. For the garden Squill, see Scilla. For the 

 medicinal Squill, see Urginea. 



SQUIRREL CORN. Vicentra Canadensis. 



SQUIRTING CUCUMBER. Eeballium Elaterium. 



SXACHYS (from an old Greek name applied 'by Dios- 

 corides to another group of plants, coming from the 

 word for «pifce). LabiAtxB. Woundwort. A genus of 

 perhaps 150 species distributed mainly in temperate 

 countries: perennial or annual herbs, rarely shrubby, 

 with opposite simple, entire or dentate leaves and 

 mostly small flowers, ranging from purple, red, pale 

 yellow to white, sessile or short-pediceled, in axillary 

 whorls or terminal dense spikes: calyx 5-dentate, teeth 

 equal or the posterior larger; corolla-tube cylindrical, 

 2-lipped, the posterior usually villous, concave or forni- 

 cate, rarely somewhat flat; stamens 4, didynamous, the 

 anterior longer, ascending under the upper lip and very 

 little exserted, often deflexed after anthesis. Very few 

 of the species are cultivated, although there are several 

 with showy spikes. They are usually found in moist or 

 even wet places when growing wild. A tuber-bearing 

 species (S. Sieboldi) has lately come into notice as a 

 kitchen-garden plant. 



2388. Vegetable Marrow— Cucurbita Pepo. 



A. Plants grown for the sliowij spikes of fls. or for 



foliage. 



B. Corolla-tube twice or more exceeding the calyx. 



Bet6nica, Benth. (Betdnica officin&Us, Linn.). Bet- 



ONY. A hardy perennial herb 1-3 ft. high : lower 



leaves long petioled, ovate-oblong, crenate, obtuse, cor- 



