SQUASHES AND PUMPKINS 



47 



burn in 1828, Hovey, 1834, and Breck, 1838. The 

 variety from that time on has been listed in practically 

 every catalog issued. There have been many changes 

 in the name but the type has remained the same. Sturte- 

 vant says, " Notwithstanding its peculiar shape and 

 usually warted condition, it does not seem to have 

 received much mention by the early colonists." It has 

 been an important variety although it has seemed to 

 experience periods of fluctuation in its popularity. 



First edible fruits were produced at Geneva in 55 

 days, 5 days earlier than Giant Summer Crookneck, in 

 season with English Vegetable Marrow and 5 days later 

 than Earliest Prolific. The plants are less vigorous than 

 those of Giant Summer Crookneck, have leaves which 

 are much less blistered and pistillate flowers with smaller, 

 more distinctly crooked ovaries. The mature edible 

 fruits are distinctly smaller, more abruptly enlarged 

 at the tip, more severely crooked, and more uniformly 

 and darker orange yellow. 



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

 green, moderately vigorous; branches moderately few, basal; spread 

 3-3 ' 2 feet. Cotyledons short and medium broad, 1 3 4 x 1 ' j inches; 

 nearly round; apex rounded; veining moderately prominent; color 

 moderately grayish green. Leaves medium large, 12 x 14 inches, 

 broadly five-lobed; sinuses narrow and rounded at the base; margin 

 slightly incised near the base, otherwise dentate; surface rather 

 rough, slightly blistered; color dark glossy green; petiole medium 

 long and moderately heavy, 15-16 inches. Flower — pistillate, 

 medium large, 5 inches across, orange; ovary club-like, constricted 

 and curved near the base; sepals very short and slerder, *4 inch; 

 — staminate, medium large, 5 1 2 inches; sepals moderately short and 

 heavy, 3 ± inch; pedicle short, 5-6 inches. 



Fruit mature edible stage 8-9 inches long, 2 3 4 -3 inches in 

 diameter at the apex and 1-1 : 4 inches at the base; shape club-like, 

 distinctly curved between base and medial, abruptly enlarged, 

 bulbous at the apex; ribbed very narrowly and irregularly; furrows 

 moderately deep; surface warted. Skin color golden yellow (apricot 

 yellow). Interior pale yellowish white. Mature fruit very small, 

 9-10 inches long, 3 3 4^ inches in diameter at the apex and 1 I 2~1 3 4 

 inches at the base. Shape much the same when mature edible; 

 surface very rough, with warts and corrugations more accentuated. 

 Blossom scar with button 's- 1 ' > n ch in diameter, slightly extended. 

 Skin color deep orange (orange) over the whole fruit. Fruit stalk 

 short and slender, 1-1} 2 inches, slightly curved and twisted, shal- 

 lowly furrowed, expanded at attachment. Shell thick, J §— J 4 inch, 

 variable, hard and woody, pale orange (antimony yellow) layer 

 between shell and flesh. Flesh thin, 1 4- 3 s inch at medial and apex, 

 solid at base; texture moderately fine, somewhat granular, soft, 

 cream color 1 buff yellow 1 . 



Seed small; short, broad and moderately flat, 1.23 x .74 x .25 

 cm. (464 per oz. ); face moderately smooth, dull white flight buff); 

 margin wedge-like. 



Table Dainty. Refs. 74, 75, 76. 



This variety produces fruits very attractive and 

 distinctive and is used in this country by those who 

 are familiar with the English marrows. It was intro- 

 duced by Sutton & Sons of Reading, England, in 1909, 

 and has remained as one of the most popular varieties 

 in its group. 



It is a small prolific sort very much shorter and 

 more symmetrical than Cocozelle. The striping is, how- 

 ever, similar to some strains, particularly that of Italian 

 Rapid Bush. 



Plant trailing; vines moderately slender, very vigorous, 18-20 

 feet; branches many, basal and medial. 



Fruit mature edible stage very small, 6-7 x 3-4 inches; weight 

 1 ' 2 1 3 1 lbs. Shape short cylindrical, very uniform and symmetrical, 

 full at base and apex; surface smooth. Skin color alternate stripes 

 of dark green (dull greenish black) and pale green (cress green) 

 with the latter in the form of lace-like pattern, between the mesh 

 of which is a buff (barium yellow) under color; after storage the pale 

 green is replaced by golden yellow. Shell soft and thin. Interior 

 nearly solid. Mature fruits slightly larger and develop color 

 changes as noted above; flesh coarse and moist, poor quality. 



Table Queen. Refs. 33, 41, 73, 83, 84, 87, 129. Syns. 

 Acorn, Danish, Danish Table Queen, Des Moines, 

 Des Moines Market, Individual, New Acorn, 

 Queen Anne, Yama. 



This variety of comparatively recent introduction 

 into seed trade lists has rapidly gained prominence and 

 is now found in the markets throughout the country. 

 The introduction of this variety has completely revived 

 the use of the small fall squash and other varieties 

 similar in growth habit and use which were popular 

 40 years ago. 



The Iowa Seed Co., Des Moines, Iowa, in their 

 catalog of 1913 listed and showed an excellent illustration 

 of Table Queen, and predicted that it would become a 

 favorite in years to come. The earlier history of the 

 variety is uncertain but no evidence has been put 

 forward to dispute the claim that it was first grown 

 commercially in the region about Des Moines. The 

 name Danish squash was used on the market, but there 

 is no evidence that the variety came from that country. 

 On the contrary, Geo. F. Will of Bismarck, North 

 Dakota, has reported that the Arikara tribe of Indians 

 " grew a black heart-shaped squash very similar in 

 appearance to Table Queen but not its equal in quality." 

 At the time of its introduction there had been in culti- 

 vation for many years several varieties of the running 

 fall squash (pepos). The exact history of all of these 

 is missing. Apparently they arose unheralded and the 

 fact that they were in a fairly staple form when intro- 

 duced would indicate that they had existed for a long 

 time. 



Strains with both golden yellow and ivory colored 

 fruits exist but the typical dark green colored squash 

 is the only form as yet popularized. Several times the 

 name White Table Queen has been listed but it has 

 never become commercially important. 



The variety attained maturity at Geneva in 86 

 days, which was in season with Fordhook and Perfect 

 Gem, and 6 days later than Delicata. The vines are 

 more vigorous than those of Delicata, have larger leaves 

 which are much more deeply lobed and distinctly darker 

 green in color. The flowers are slightly larger with 

 distinctly larger and broader sepals in the pistillate forms. 



Plant trailing; vines slender, moderately vigorous, 12-15 feet; 

 branches many, basal and medial. Cotyledons very short and 

 narrow, l?s x 1 ' s inches, short oval to nearly round; apex rounded; 

 veining prominent, color dark grayish green. Leaves small, 10x12 

 inches, broadly five-lobed; sinuses narrow, rounded at the base, 

 2-4 sub-sinuses on terminal lobe; margin denticulate, slightly 

 frilled; surface occasionally somewhat blistered; color dark green; 

 petiole short and slender, 10-12 inches. Flower — pistillate, 

 medium large, 5-5 '2 inches across, pale orange; ovary turbinate, 

 ridged; sepals medium long and moderately slender, lU'-lJ^ 



