94 MARKET GARDENING 



XXI. SQUASH 



Soil. A well fertilized, medium to li<rht soil is the 

 most desirable in which to grow squashes. The success 

 in growing the crook-neck or patty-pan type of squash is 

 dependent to a lai-gc degree upon having a soil that will 

 warm up early in the spring. This is no less true with the 

 Hubbard squash and other varieties that require a long 

 growing season to attain maturity before frosts in the 

 fall. 



Planting. The general practice is to plant in hills 

 fi'om four l)y four feet, for the crook-neck and patty-pan 

 types to ten l.)y twelve feet for the Hul)l)ar(l squasli. The 

 seed should not be planted until danger of frost is passed 

 and the ground has become sufficiently warmed. 



To obtain earliest results, the seed may be |ilanted in 

 pots or baskets, in a hot bed or green-house, four to six weeks 

 before being set in tlie open. When trans|)lanting, gi'eat 

 care must be taken that the ball of earth is disturbed as 

 little as possible. 



Harvestmg. The summer squashes are harvested as 

 soon as they attain sufficient size to become salable. 



The fall and winter kinds should be allowed to ripen 

 on the vines before being harvested. The scjuash should be 

 gathered with all of its stem intact; the vine should be cut 

 about an inch each side of the stem. L^nless the weather 

 is too severe, the squashes may be left piled in the field 

 until the stems have become thoroughly dried before being 

 placed in storage. 



Storing. The storage must be warm and dry, the 

 temijerature being held at .50° to .5.5° F. It is customary 

 to have stove or furnace heat in squash store-houses. The 

 squashes keep be.^t '-.en stored o:i ventilated shelves, piled 



