132 BIGGLE GARDEN BOOK 



PUMPKINS. Usually grown by farmers in corn 

 fields. Seldom grown in the garden, but may be 

 planted, if desired, the same as watermelons. Quaker 

 Pie and Sugar are good varieties for home use. 



SQUASH. White Bush, Golden Custard Bush 

 and Yellow Summer Crookneck are favorite summer 

 kinds. Hills for these should be about four feet 

 apart each way. Of the winter varieties, Hubbard 

 is the best known. Marblehead, Boston Marrow, Es- 

 sex Hybrid, etc., are also grown. Prize squash, etc., 

 of extra size may be raised by leaving only one 

 selected specimen on a vine; cut all others off and 

 remove blossoms, nip the ends off vines, and apply 

 liquid manure frequently to roots. 



Plant winter squash the same distance apart as 

 watermelons. Late-planted squash, I've discovered, 

 often escape the black squash-bugs. This, and yearly 

 rotation, are the two secrets of success. Try plant- 

 ing some Hubbard seed the middle of June, choosing 

 a spot where no similar crop has been recently 

 grown. If a few bugs do find the vines, pick off 

 the pests in the early morning and kill them. Try 

 covering the vines about the hills with a mound 

 of loose earth doing this about the time of the last 

 cultivation, with a hoe. This will prevent the 

 ravages of the squash root-borer which attacks the 

 growing plants about that time, as usually the vines 

 will start rootlets within this covering, and in spite 

 of the injury done to their roots will grow and set 

 nice squashes which will mature in this manner. 

 Gather winter squash before they are frosted, and 

 store in a dry place. 



Insects and diseases : The following are ene- 

 mies of all the crops mentioned in this chapter. First 

 in importance is the well-known "striped bug" or 



