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strawberries, etc. I learnt the secret of the delicious 

 little vegetable they call ' Zucche,' which I had often heard 

 of. It is called in the English Vilmorin vegetable book 

 Italian Vegetable Marrow, 'an extremely distinct variety. 

 stems not running very thick, and short. The luxuriant 

 foliage forms a regular bush. All through Italy, where 

 this gourd is very commonly grown, the fruit is eaten 

 quite young, just before the faded flower drops off. The 

 plants deprived of their undeveloped fruits continue to 

 flower for several months most profusely, each producing 

 a great number of young gourds, which, gathered in that 

 state, are exceedingly tender and delicately flavoured.' 

 ' This should be tried in England,' adds Mr. Eobinson. 

 The same excellent way of gathering them quite young 

 might, I think, be adopted for other gourds and Vegetable 

 Marrows. 



