Book I. 



POMPION AND GOURD. 



675 



musk-melon. Though commonly cultivated in gardens for curiosity, yet, in some of 

 the country villages of England, the inhabitants grow it on dunghills, at the backs of 

 their houses, and train the shoots to a great length over grass. When the fruit is ripe, 

 they cut a hole in one side, and having taken out the seeds, fill the void space with sliced 

 apples, adding a little sugar and spice, and then having baked the whole, eat it with 

 butter. (Xeill.) Pumpkin-pie, Abercrombie says, is very common. On the continent, 

 the fruit is a good deal used in soups, and also stewed and fried in oil or butter. 



4209. The water-melon is the C. citrullus 

 (Humph. Am. 5. t. 146. and our fg. 473.), Pas- 

 teque, Fr. ; Wassermelone, Ger. ; and Cocomero, 

 ltal. It is a native of the south of Europe, and 

 introduced in 1597. It is rather more tender 

 than the C. Pepo. This plant forms both the food 

 and the drink of the inhabitants of Egypt for se- 

 veral months in the year ; and is much used in 

 the south of Italy. It requires nearly the same 

 treatment as the common melon, but a larger frame 

 to admit its more extended shoots to spread them- 

 selves. The fruit is large, green externally, white - 

 fleshed, reddish towards the centre, succulent, and 

 refreshing, but not high-flavored. It is generally 

 considered as the melon of the Jews, mentioned 

 in various parts of the Bible. 



4210. The squash is the C. Melopepo (Potiron, 

 Fr. ; Pfebin Kiirbiss,- Ger. ; and Popone, ltal. ) ; a 

 native of the Levant, and introduced in 1 597. It is cultivated like the pompion, and 

 the fruit is used in pies, or gathered when of the size of a hen's egg, dressed in salt and 

 water, and sliced and served on a toast. It is also used for pickling. In North America 

 it is cultivated as an article of food. 



4211. The warted gourd (C. verrucosa) is a native of the Levant, and introduced in 

 1658. Its nature and uses are the same as those of the squash, and like it, it is cultivated 

 in North America as an article of food. 



4212. The bottle gourd, or false calabash (C. lagenaria), (Rumph. Am. 5. t. 144.) is a 

 native of India, and introduced in 1597. Its culture and uses are the same as those of 

 the two last sorts. 



4213. The orange-fruited gourd (C. aurantia) is a native of India, introduced in 1802, 

 and rather more tender than the common pompion. It has been hitherto cultivated chiefly 

 for curiosity, and when trained spirally round a pole, or against a wall, and loaded with 

 its yellow fruit, it is very ornamental. The fruit may be us%d like those of the other 

 sorts. 



4214. Tlie vegetable marroiv (C jiepo var.) {Jig. 474.) was in- 

 troduced within these few years from Persia, where it is called 

 deader. " The fruit," Sabine observes (Hort. Trans, vol. ii. 

 255.), "is of a uniform pale-yellow, or light sulphur-color ; when 

 full grown, it is about nine inches in length, four inches in dia- 

 meter, of an elliptic shape, the surface being rendered slightly 

 uneven by irregular longitudinal ribs, the terminations of which 

 uniting, form a projecting apex at the end of the fruit, which is 

 very unusual in this tribe. It is useful for culinary purposes in 

 every stage of its growth ; when very young, it is good if fried 

 with butter ; when large or about half grown, it is excellent either 

 plain, boiled, or stewed with rich sauce ; for either of these purposes 

 it should be cut in slices. The flesh has a peculiar tenderness and 

 softness, from which circumstance it has, I suppose, received its 

 name, much resembling the buttery quality of the Beurre pears, 

 and this property remains with it till it is full grown, when it is 

 used for pies. It is, however, in its intermediate state of growth 

 that I conceive it likely to be most approved. Compared with all 



the other kinds which I had growing, its superiority was decided ; there were one or two 

 which, in cooking, might be considered nearly as good, but these are bad bearers, and 

 more difficult to cultivate, so that I consider the vegetable marrow without a rival." 

 The culture of this species is the same as that of the others. 



4215. Culture applicable to all the species. They are propagated from seeds which are large, and reauire 

 to be covered nearly an inch. Sow in April in a hot-bed under a frame or hand-glass, to raise plants for 

 transferring to the open garden at the end of May under a warm aspect ; or for planting out in the middle 

 of May on a trench of hot dung under a hand-glass or half-shelter: otherwise sow, at the beginning of 

 May, under a hand-glass without bottom-heat, for transplandng into a favorable situation or sow three 

 weeks later (after the 20th) at once in the open garden, under a south wall, for the plants to' remain The 



X x 2 



474 



