34 



THE VEGETABLES OF NEW YORK 



grown it successfully for many years. Specimens grown 

 in 1935 from seed taken from a squash sent here by a 

 Connecticut seedsman produced fruit like the picture 

 in the catalog and also in the booklet " Squashes and 

 How to Grow Them," etc. published by Gregory in 

 1893 under the names Para and Polk Squash. In 1859 

 the name Polk is listed in the catalog of Hovey & Co. 

 of Boston. The name Para is of South American origin 

 but the variety was seemingly never very widely grown. 

 The fruits of this variety are most like those of 

 Illinois Beauty in shape but are less tapered at the 

 base. The uniformly greenish black skin serves to 

 further distinguish it from this variety and Delicata. 

 The plants are very slow growers and less vigorous than 

 those of Delicata, also lack the silvery sheen leaf char- 

 acteristic of the latter variety. 



Plant trailing; vines moderately slender, weak grower, 5-6 

 feet; branches moderately few; semi-bush in early stages, later 

 become trailing. Leaves broadly 5-lobed, sinuses deep and narrow. 



Fruit very small, 10-12 x 3-3}? inches; weight 2-2 } o pounds; 

 shape oblong, cylindrical, apex full, base slightly depressed; ribbed 

 moderately narrow; furrows shallow; surface rather uneven, slightly 

 bumpy; skin color dark green over entire surface with the exception 

 of area adjacent to ground which is orange (salmon orange). Fruit 

 stalk short, 1 J £—2 inches, moderately slender, shallowly furrowed, 

 hard and woody, expanded at the base. Shell very thin, tj - A 

 inch, indefinite, firm. Flesh moderately thin, 3 4-"s inch, slightly 

 thicker at the base, very firm texture, moderately dry, sweet, well 

 flavored, pale orange (orange buff) ; quality good. 



Seed small; short, broad and flat, 1.15 x .75 x .18 cm. (460 per 

 oz.); surface moderately smooth, light buff; margin wedge-like, 

 slightly curved and twisted. 



Black Zucchini. Ref. 86. Syns. Green Bush Tripoli, 

 Long Dark Green Bush Marrow Tripoli, Wesley's 

 Cocozelle. 



This dark skinned variety has only within the last 

 few years become popular on the West Coast and on 

 certain markets in the east. It was listed in 1931 by 

 the Jerome B. Rice Seed Co., Cambridge, New York, 

 by Alexander Forbes & Co., Newark, New Jersey, and 

 others in 1933. The stocks as offered by these seed 

 houses are somewhat different in shape. 



First edible fruits were produced at Geneva in 58 

 days, 5 days later than Zucchini and 3 days later than 

 Italian Vegetable Marrow. The plants are more vigorous 

 than those of Zucchini with the leaves slightly larger, 

 slightly less finely parted and decidedly darker green. 

 The fruits are much longer and more slender, and have 

 a distinctly darker, more uniformly colored skin. 



Another sort bearing the name Rice's Black Zucchini 

 is entirely distinct from the one considered in detail in 

 this account. Mature edible fruits are obtained 5 days 

 earlier and are much thicker in proportion to their length. 

 The foliage is decidedly less cleft, being very similar 

 in outline to those of White Bush Scallop. 



Plant bush; central stem moderately coarse, very dark green; 

 branches moderately few, basal; moderately vigorous. Cotyledons 

 medium long and moderately broad, 2 3 4 x 132 inches; oval; apex 

 tapered; color dark green. Leaves small, 10 x 12 inches, rather 

 narrowly 7-Iobed, each lobe having many sub-sinuses; sinus rounded 

 at the base, somewhat lacerated; margin incised near the base of 

 the blade, otherwise serrated; color dark green; petiole medium long 

 and moderately slender. 15-16 inches. Flower — pistillate, medium 



large, 5-6 inches across, orange; ovary cylindrical, very symmetrical; 

 sepals very short and slender, 'j inch; — staminate, moderately 

 small, 4-5 inches across; sepals medium long and moderately heavy, 

 1 inch; pedicle very short, 4-5 inches. 



Fruit mature edible stage 15-18 inches long, 2J4 _3 M inches 

 in diameter at the base and 2 :t 4 -3 3 4 inches at the apex; shape nearly 

 cylindrical, slightly curved and very slightly enlarged at the apex; 

 ridged slightly at the base; surface smooth; blossom scar with small 

 button, J4 inch. Skin color very dark green, almost black (dull 

 greenish black) obscurely specked and finely mottled with pale 

 greenish yellow (light dull green yellow). Interior pale greenish 

 white (pale glass green). Mature fruit moderately small, 22-26 

 inches long, 3J 4 -43 _> inches in diameter at the apex and 3 J 2-3% 

 inches at the base; weight 7-9 pounds. Shape much the same when 

 mature edible. Skin color uniformly and finely laced with dark 

 green (dull blackish green), concentrated at the ridges to form a 

 very dense, nearly solid, narrow stripe of the same color; ground 

 color which appears within the mesh of the lace-like color pattern 

 is pale orange yellow (light cadmium). Fruit stalk very short, 

 3 4 inch, deeply ridged and distinctly expanded at the point of 

 attachment. Shell moderately hard and thin, 3^ inch, greenish 

 yellow (glass green). Flesh coarse, granular and soft, moderately 

 thin, 3 4 inch, pale buff yellow I maize yellow). 



Seed moderately small; moderately short, medium broad and 

 moderately plump; 1.49 x .77 x .28 cm. (260 per oz.); face smooth, 

 dull white, (pale olive buff), margin wedge-like. 



Boston Greek. Ref. 86. 



This is a summer bush squash which was introduced 

 from Southern Europe in 1918 by Joseph Breck & Sons of 

 Boston, Massachusetts, who listed it upon recommenda- 

 tion of friends. It is grown to a limited extent near 

 eastern markets. It is believed by many to be superior 

 in quality to others in its class and when cooked it 

 assumes a more delicate and attractive green color. 



First edible fruits were produced at Geneva in 52 

 days, 1 day earlier than Zucchini and 2 days later than 

 Earliest Prolific. The plants are more vigorous than 

 those of Zucchini, with distinctly lighter green stalks 

 and slightly larger leaves which are darker green in 

 color and decidedly less blotched with gray. The fruits 

 are distinctly lighter green in color, but otherwise are 

 much like those of Zucchini in shape. 



Plant bush: central stem moderately heavy, light green; 

 branches many, basal; spread 4 feet, vigorous. Cotyledons moder- 

 ately short and moderately narrow, 2 3 s x I 3 * inches; oval; apex 

 moderately rounded; color dark green. Leaves moderately small, 

 12 x 12 inches; rather narrowly 5 to 7-lobed, each lobe having 

 many sub-sinuses; sinuses rounded at the base, rather narrow, 

 lacerated; margin slightly incised near the base of the blade, other- 

 wise serrate; surface moderately smooth; color dull dark green; 

 petiole medium long and slender, 14—15 inches. Flower — pistillate, 

 moderately large, 6 3 2 inches across, orange: ovary cylindrical; 

 sepals very short and slender, J 4 inch; — staminate, moderately 

 large, 6 inches across; sepals medium long and heavy, 1?4 inches; 

 pedicle moderately short, 7-8 inches. 



Fruit mature edible stage 10-12 inches long, 3 J 2— 4 inches in 

 diameter at the apex and 3-3} 4 inches at the base; shape somewhat 

 cylindrical, gradually enlarging towards the apex; ribbed slightly 

 at the base; surface smooth. Blossom scar with button very small. 

 Skin color effect light green; ground color pale yellow isea foam 

 yellow to margarite yellow) profusely marked with a moderately 

 light green (light bice green) lace-like color pattern over the entire 

 fruit. Interior pale greenish white (pale glass green). Mature 

 fruit small, 12-14 inches long, 4 '4 4 ' 2 inches in diameter at the apex 

 and 3 1 .-3 '4 inches at the base; weight 4-4 ' 2 pounds. Shape much 

 the same when mature edible. Skin color uniformly and finely 

 laced with a pale orange yellow (orange buff! lace-like color pattern; 

 ground color pale cream (Naples yellow). Fruit stalk short, l 3 |-2 



