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SQUASHES. 



Squashes are an easy crop to raise and pleasant to han- 

 dle. Most any otherwise vacant and useless spots on the 

 .farm can be made to produce a hill of squashes, and the 

 corn field will support a limited number of vines without 

 injury to its mainly important crop. Rich soil is certainly 

 needed to grow a large squash crop and six to ten cords of 

 good manure per acre, are none too much for an applica- 

 tion. Hills should be made ten feet apart in each direction, 

 and a dozen seeds sown to each hill, in order that a suffi- 

 cient number of plants may stand after the ravages of the 

 bugs have ceased. Land plaster is commonly used to rid 

 the vines of insects, sprinkling a handful or so upon each 

 hill. As this merely keeps the bugs off and does not kill 

 them, the application of a weak solution of Paris green, is 

 a much surer remedy. In preparing land for squashes, it is 

 well to spread on a heavy dressing of manure broadcast, 

 and in addition where the hills come, to dig in a couple of 

 shovelfuls of good fine compost, which is to be covered and 

 the seed dropped on top. The entire cultivation until the 

 vines commence to run, is readily done with the horse cul- 

 tivator. It is a characteristic of the squash vine to form 

 new roots at intervals, throughout its length. This feature 

 should be encouraged by covering the vines with earth at 

 these points, for not only does it aiford the vine an in- 

 creased feeding area, but when it occurs, as it sometimes 

 does, that borers destroy the main root, these auxiliary 

 feeders save the vine from ruin. To be safely kept through 

 the winter, squashes require a moderately warm and dry 

 apartment for their storage. We have found that a cellar 

 heated by steam or furnace heat is a most excellent place 

 for the purpose. In this way we have kept them in good 

 condition until late Spring. 



TUENIPS. 



The turnip is very useful on the farm, as a food for all 



