VEGETABLES DESCRIPTION AND CULTURE. 407 



potato. For feeding stock three bushels are equal to one 

 of Indian corn, yielding, on the same land, live or six 

 times the food that is produced by this most profitable 

 grain. 



A good-baked sweet potato is almost as nutritive as 

 bread. They are better baked than boiled. They are also 

 used for pies and puddings, and sweet potato rolls are 

 excellent. In short, the modes of cooking this valuable 

 vegetable are innumerable, but perhaps the very best is 

 Marion's mode of roasting in the hot ashes. 



Maiiketix*;. — The same system adopted in placing the 

 Irish potato on the market. In the case of the sweet 

 potato it is not so necessary to protect against the sun, 

 and such great care in handling is not required as in the 

 case of the Irish potato. 



PUMPKIN.— ( Cucurbita Pepo.) 



A trailing annual, from India and the Levant, with 

 globular or cylindrical fruit. It has become so crossed 

 that it is difficult to say of some varieties to which species 

 they should be referred. 



The best variety for family use is the Cashaw, a long, 

 cylindrical, curved variety, swollen at one extremity, of 

 fine, creamy yellow color, very solid and excellent to 

 use as a winter squash, and quite as valuable as any for 

 the other purposes. Pumpkins are not as particular 

 about soil as melons and cucumbers, but will grow well 

 on any tolerably rich ground. It is not best to grow them 

 in the garden, as they will mix and corrupt the seed of 

 the other varieties. They like a soil freshly reclaimed 

 from the woods; the field is the proper place for their 

 cultivation. Plant when the main crop of corn is put in; 

 let the hills be ten feet apart. Hoe frequently and keep 

 (lean. Let only one plant remain in each hill. Do not 

 earth up the plants, but keep the soil about them light 



