MELONS, PUMPKINS, AND CUCUMBERS 149 



for making pumpkin pies ; and the canning of pump- 

 kins for winter use is an important part of the work in 

 canning factories. 



Uses. - - The squashes are cooked either green or 

 ripe as a table vegetable, and the sweet varieties are 

 used for pies. They are also fed to hogs and cattle. 

 Squashes occasionally grow to enormous size, some 

 weighing over 300 pounds. 



Cucumbers are a standard garden vegetable, and 

 are eaten fresh or pickled in salt or vinegar. Gourds 

 are grown in this country mainly as curiosities. 



QUESTIONS 



1. What crop plants belong to the gourd family? 



2. What conditions of soil and climate are required by water- 

 melons ? 



3. How are pumpkins grown? What are the uses of this 

 crop? 



4. How does a cantaloupe differ from a nutmeg muskmelon ? 



5. What uses are made of squashes ? Of cucumbers ? 



PRACTICAL EXERCISES 



i. Place several seeds of each of this group of plants on a plate 

 germinator and make a study of the seedlings of each kind. 



REFERENCES 



Farmers' Bulletins: 231, Spraying for cucumber and melon 

 diseases; 254, Cucumbers. 



