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. 



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