SQUASHES AND PUMPKINS 



17 



ledons moderately long and broad, 2' ! | x 2 inches; short oval to 

 nearly round; apex tapered. Leaves nearly entire, small, 9 x 13 

 inches; margin slightly serrate near the base, otherwise denticulate, 

 slightly frilled; color dull medium green; petiole moderately long, 

 1518 inches and moderately slender. Flower — pistillate, medium 

 size, S ' _'-6 inches across, pale orange yellow; ovary nearly cylindrical; 

 sepals short and very slender. 1 1 ' t inches; staminate moderately 

 small, 4— } ' _■ inches across; sepals short and very slender, ;l ( - 7 s inch. 



Fruit large, 18-20 x 5-6 inches; weight 10-12 pounds. Shape 

 nearly cylindrical and moderately tapering at base and apex; 

 surface moderately smooth to obscurely wrinkled and pock-marked. 

 Blossom scar with button prominent. ' _■ ■ '■ ( inch long. Skin color 

 gTay court gray to pale olive gray), changing to creamy pink 

 pale ochraceous buff' in storage. Fruit stalk moderately short, 

 1-2 inches, round, straight, soft and corky. Shell medium hardness, 

 inch thick. Flesh medium thickness, 1-1 '4 inches, slightly 

 thicker at the base and apex; texture very fine, moderately dry, 

 tender; quality moderately good; color orange yellow (light orange 

 yellow to orange buff . Seed cavity large, conforms to general 

 shape of the fruit, contains much placental tissue which is slightly 

 stringy but easily removed. 



Seed medium large, medium length and width, plump, 1.8 x 1.0 

 x .44 cm. 144 per oz. ; face smooth, brown .dark fawn 1 ; margin 

 slightly ridged, corky cream buff 1 in color. 



Bay Stat.-. Refs. 14, 23, 27, 31, 33, 38, 41, 47, 50, 51, 

 59, 61, 64, 73, 98, 99, 118, 129, 130, 135. Syn. 

 Improved Bay State. 



This variety similar in shape to Essex Hybrid was 

 introduced by Aaron Low, seedsman, in 1888. A single 

 plant bearing turban-shaped squashes of a slate gray 

 instead of the usual orange was found by Mr. Low and 

 the strain perpetuated by selection. It is quite possible 

 that this odd plant found in a field of Essex Hybrid 

 was only a different form from the original chance 

 cross that produced the Essex. 



Bay State required 115 days to reach maturity at 

 Geneva. This was 10 days earlier than Essex Hybrid 

 and Victor and in season with Hubbard and Marblehead. 

 The vines are more vigorous than those of Essex Hybrid, 

 and the pistillate flowers have more greenish yellow 

 ovaries and longer and heavier sepals. The fruits are 

 smaller, but similar in shape to Essex Hybrid, with a 

 somewhat less prominent blossom scar. 



Plant trailing; vines moderately heavy, vigorous, 15-18 feet 

 long; branches many, basal. Cotyledons medium long and moder- 

 ately broad, 2 :i 4 x 2 inches; oval; apex moderately rounded; medium 

 green color. Leaves very shallowly lobed, moderately small, 

 9x14 inches; margin denticulate, moderately frilled; surface moder- 

 ately smooth; color medium green; petiole medium long and medium 

 slender, 14-16 inches. Flower — pistillate, medium size, 5-5 ] 2 

 inches across, yellow; ovary drum-like; sepals medium long and 

 moderately slender, 1-1 '4 inches; — staminate, moderately small, 

 4-4 ' _. inches across; stigma twisted and irregular, distinctly 

 expanded, sepals moderately short and moderately slender, 1 inch; 

 pedicle short, 5-7 inches. 



Fruit small, 7-8 x 10-12 inches; weight 10-12 pounds. Shape 

 drum-like, flattened at the base, distinctly depressed at the apex, 

 often slightly constricted at the medial; ribbed narrowly; furrows 

 shallow; surface moderately smooth and occasionally somewhat 

 uneven; acorn very prominent, 2-3 inches in diameter, pale yellow 

 margarite yellow) in color. Skin color bluish gray tea green to 

 deep olive gray). Fruit stalk medium long, 3-4 inches, round, 

 curved, spongy and corky. Shell very hard, woody, moderately 

 thick, '--;',, inch. Flesh thickest at the base, 1 1 _i 1 ;1 1 inches; at 

 the medial, 1 inch; at apex ' _. inch; texture moderately fine, medium 

 dry. fair flavor and sweetness; quality fair; color dull yellow to light 



orange light cadmium to light orange yellow). Seed cavity medium 

 size, near center and towards apex; placental tissue moderately 

 abundant, stringy, rather difficult to remove. 



Seed medium large; medium length and width, moderately 

 plump, 1.88 x 1.07 x .36 cm. 1,108 per oz.); face wrinkled, glossy 

 white; margin rounded, smooth. 



Blue Hubbard. Refs. 33, 41, 73, 129, 130. Syn. 

 Symmes Blue Hubbard. 



Of comparatively recent introduction, this variety 

 has slowly forged ahead in the esteem of gardeners all 

 over the country. It now has reached the position 

 which was predicted for it when Mr. Gregory said in 

 1909. the year of its introduction, " Our ninth intro- 

 duction, all things considered, is our best. - ' It was 

 named originally, Symmes Blue Hubbard, for S. S. 

 Symmes, a gardener and florist of Cliftondale, Massa- 

 chusetts, who for many years had grown seeds for the 

 Gregory concern. It retains many of the Hubbard 

 characteristics and probably was a hybrid between that 

 variety and either Middleton Blue or Marblehead. 

 Since its introduction there have been several changes 

 in the accepted type but the description given below 

 seems to be that represented by leading growers in 

 Massachusetts. 



Mature fruits were obtained at Geneva in 120 days, 

 5 days later than Hubbard, in season with Chicago 

 Warted Hubbard and 5 days earlier than Essex Hybrid. 

 The plants are more vigorous than those of Hubbard 

 and have larger leaves which are distinctly more silvery 

 green in color. The fruits are larger, longer, more 

 heavily and deeply corrugated and have a distinctly 

 thicker neck at the base. 



Plant trailing; vines moderately coarse, vigorous, 15-18 feet 

 long; branches many, basal and medial. Cotyledons moderately 

 long and broad, 3x2 inches; oval; apex tapered; veining moderately 

 prominent; color grayish green. Leaves very shallowly lobed, 

 medium large, 10 x 16 inches; margin slightly serrated near th; 

 base, otherwise denticulate, frilled; surface moderately smooth; 

 color moderately dark green, usually having a pale silvery sheen; 

 petiole medium long and moderately heavy, 14—16 inches. Flower 

 — pistillate, moderately large, 6 J 2 inches across, yellow, ovary fusi- 

 form, slightly curved and moderately fuzzy; sepals short, slender, 

 '■>- :! 4 inch; — staminate, medium large, 5-5 '3 inches across, sepals 

 medium long and moderately slender, 1-1 .'4 inches; pedicle medium 

 long, 8-9 inches. 



Fruit medium to moderately large, 15-18 x 9-12 inches; 

 weight 12-18 pounds. Shape thick falcate-fusiform, moderately 

 tapering towards the base into a thick neck. The long type carries 

 the thickness over a greater length, the central portion being 

 more oval than globular; ribbed irregularly; furrows narrow; 

 surface wrinkled, warted, often corrugated. Blossom scar with 

 button present, '4-' 2 inch long. Skin color blue gray (court 

 gray; during late storage this is replaced by pale pink ipale pinkish 

 buff). Fruit stalk moderately short, 2^-3 inches, round, slightly 

 curved, rough and corky. Shell very hard, woody and thick, 

 '4 inch, pale green (lime green) in color. Flesh moderately thick 

 at the medial, 1 I 4 -1 1 2 inches, thick at the apex, 1 S 4 inches, and 

 solid at the base, often 3—4 inches; texture fine, medium dry, moder- 

 ately tender ; somewhat astringent, moderately sweet, good flavor; 

 quality good; color dull orange (orange buff). Seed cavity large, 

 contains a moderate amount of placental tissue, which is moderately 

 dry, rather stringy, and easily removed. 



Seed medium long; medium large and broad, plump, 1.93 x 

 1.24 x .46 cm. (88 per oz.); face wrinkled, glossy white; margin 

 rounded, smooth. 



