SQUASHES AND PUMPKINS * 
SQUASHES 
Types. There are two distinct types of squashes, summer and 
winter. The summer squashes are used in an immature stage, 
before the shell or seeds harden. In some varieties the flesh 
becomes coarse and bitter at maturity. The winter squashes are 
allowed to reach full maturity unless overtaken by frost, and 
under proper storage conditions may be kept until late in the 
winter. The summer varieties commonly grown are of bush form, 
while the winter varieties make long trailing vines. The summer 
varieties are less exacting as to soil and climate than the winter 
sorts and are the more reliable crop producers under unfavorable 
conditions. They will make a crop in the shade of a corn field 
and will also endure the intense heat of southern summers. 
Winter varieties, on the other hand, do not thrive in competition 
against corn, and suffer severely from extreme heat or drought. 
The summer varieties have hard, dense stems and vines, while 
those of the typical winter varieties are more fleshy and succulent. 
The summer varieties are small fruited and the winter varieties 
large fruited. 
In addition to the two common types already mentioned, there 
are also two others that are grown to some extent. One is a small- 
fruited type resembling the summer varieties in size of fruit, 
texture of stem, and ability to withstand heat and drought. They 
are, for the most part, running rather than bush varieties. The 
fruit may be used at an immature stage, like summer squash, and 
they are also of good quality when mature. They may be kept 
for winter use the same as the large winter varieties. A typical 
representative of this class of squash is the Perfect Gem. An- 
other type of squash grown to a limited extent in this country is 
the winter Crookneck or Cushaw. It forms long, often curved, 
fruits of large size, in which the seed cavity is confined to one end, 
*From J. W. Lloyd’s Productive Vegetable Growing ; J. B. Lippincott Co., Phila, 
Pa., publishers. 
[1491] 
