SQUASHES AND PUMPKINS 



51 



CUCURBITA MOSCHATA 



Of the three species treated in this chapter, this one 

 is the least popular in the northern states. As pointed 

 out in the first chapter, this group is believed to be more 

 closely allied to the original form from which the genus 

 Cucurbita arose, and consequently is represented in a 

 more diverse variation in the tropics. Certain types, 

 among which were the Striped Crookneck and the 

 Puritan, have been recorded in our eastern states from 

 the time of the earliest colonies. Moreover, the Indians 

 were known to have grown the Winter Crookneck along 

 with forms of pepos. The Seminole Indians of Florida 

 were likewise known to have used a variety which bears 

 the name of this tribe. 



Although the types of several modern varieties are 

 recognized as being in existence in pre-colonial days, 

 the dates are not known in many instances when the 

 names were applied. The first authentic reference to a 

 variety as we know it is in relation to Cheese, a variety 

 listed by Thorburn in 1824. Canada Crookneck 

 apparently was named and introduced about 1834 by 

 Hovey. There were apparently two groups of Cushaws 

 at or before this time. One line, which included Winter 

 Crookneck, Canada Crookneck and Golden Cushaw, 

 possessed the slightly furrowed, ridged and expanded 

 peduncle. Other varieties possessing similar stem char- 

 acteristics of this group included Quaker Pie, introduced 

 in 1884, Calhoun in 1891 and Virginia Mammoth in 

 1895. The other group having a distinctly fleshy, thick, 

 maxima-like peduncle included the Green Striped 

 Cushaw, Puritan and Tennessee Sweet Potato intro- 

 duced in 1883, Japanese Pie in 1884, and White 

 Cushaw in 1891. The introduction of Yokohama in 

 1862 ( followed by Chirimen, Kikuza and Saikyo some 50 

 years later) invites considerable interest as to how this 

 type, so diverse from American sorts, was established 

 in Japan. 



This species is of the least economic importance of 

 the three in the north and east. Some of its varieties 

 are rather widely grown in the southern states and are 

 acknowledged to be delightful. Twenty varieties are 

 included in this account. Several obscure varieties, 

 about which little is known, as well as a few varieties 

 now grown in foreign countries, are also listed. 



Bugle Gramma. Refs. 39, 40. Syns. Gramma, 

 Trombone. 



This is the most popular moschata grown in Australia 

 and in type of fruit is quite similar to our Golden Cushaw. 

 A number of the Cushaw pumpkins grown in the South 

 are also grown in Australia and are used both as pie 

 pumpkins and as food for stock. 



This variety was the last to mature at Geneva, 

 having required 145 days, 10 days later than Chirimen 

 and 20 days later than Golden Cushaw. The vines are 

 most like those of Chirimen and Kikuza and are decidedly 

 more vigorous than those of Golden Cushaw, with leaves 

 having more gray blotches and more distinct decurrent 

 blades than those of the latter. The flowers are much 

 larger, more brilliantly colored and have larger ovaries 



and sepals. The fruits are considerably longer and 

 more uniformly cylindrical at the base and medial. 



Plant trailing: vines moderately slender, very dark green, very 

 vigorous, 20 25 feet; branches many, basal and medial. Cotyledons 

 medium long and medium broad, 2 ' £ x 1 ' j inches, nearly rect- 

 angular: apex rounded, slightly notched; veining prominent; color 

 grayish green. Leaves medium large, 11 x 15 inches very shallowly 

 5-lobed, terminal one distinctly tapered; distinctly decurrent; 

 margin slightly serrated at the base otherwise very finely denticu- 

 late, slightly frilled; surface moderately smooth, occasionally some- 

 what coarsely blistered; auricles distinctly imbricate, ascending, 

 vertically parallel; color very dark green, moderately marked with 

 small gray blotches at the intersections; petiole moderately long and 

 moderately slender, 15-18 inches, very dark green. Flower — pistil- 

 late, very large, 8 ' ■> inches across, pale orange often streaked with 

 creamy white; ovary very large, crooked, enlarged at the apex, pale 

 green, irregularly streaked and spotted with pale yellow; stigma very 

 prominent, compact, deep orange red; petals terminate in green 

 tip * _> inch long; sepals very long and broad, 2-2 ,' ■> inches, often 

 with leaf-like appendages; — staminate, moderately large, 6 inches 

 across; sepals moderately long and very broad, lj^-l% inches, 

 fuzzy; pedicle moderately long, 9-10 inches, often very much longer, 

 extending above the foliage. 



Fruit large; 26-30 inches long, 8-10 inches in diameter at the 

 apex and 4-5 inches at the base and medial; weight 20-25 pounds. 

 Shape crookneck, with extreme apex abruptly bulbous, with base 

 and medial a curved cylinder; moderately ribbed; furrows shallow; 

 surface wrinkled, leather -like; blossom scar with button ' 4 inch long, 

 surrounded by a cork-like scar %— 1J4 inches in diameter. Skin 

 color light brown mars yellow to ochraceous tawny I covered with 

 a heavy bloom. Fruit stalk moderately long and medium heavy, 

 4-5 inches, curved, moderately furrowed, very spiny, woody and 

 tough, expanded at base. Shell soft and medium thick, J g inch. 

 Flesh medium thick at apex, 1-1 J/j inches, solid at medial and 

 base; texture coarse, juicy, very fibrous; distinctly sweet, pale 

 salmon orange icapucine orange); quality poor. Seed cavity 

 small, at apex; placental tissue little, stringy, salmon pink, moder- 

 ately moist, difficult to remove. 



Seed medium large; medium long, moderately narrow and 

 moderately flat, 1.86 x .96 x .28 cm. (184 per oz.); face rather rough 

 and wrinkled (tilleul buff); margin slightly swollen, crinkled and 

 fuzzy, brown (fawn). 



Calhoun. Refs. 15, 28, 31, 33, 41, 64, 129, 130. Syns. 



New Thanksgiving Pumpkin, Thanksgiving Pie. 



This was originated by a Mr. Calhoun and was 

 introduced in 1891 by Peter Henderson & Co. of New 

 York. It undoubtedly was a selection from Cheese 

 for it is similar to that variety in many respects. This 

 variety has been popular in the Middle West where it has 

 been grown as Thanksgiving Pie. 



Mature fruits were produced at Geneva in 110 days, 

 in season with Cheese and 10 days earlier than Quaker 

 Pie. The vines are considerably less vigorous than those 

 of Cheese, have leaves which are more profusely blotched 

 with gray and have slightly smaller flowers with more 

 globular ovaries. The fruits are practically the same 

 color but are considerably smaller and thicker. 



Plant trailing; vines very slender, moderately light green, 

 medium vigor, 8-10 feet; branches many, basal and medial. Cotyle- 

 dons medium long and moderately narrow, 2J4 * 1/4 inches; rect- 

 angular; apex rather truncate; veining prominent; color moderately 

 pale grayish green. Leaves small, 8 x 11 inches, nearly entire; 

 auricles moderately decurrent; margin distinctly serrated and 

 incised near the base, otherwise denticulate; surface smooth; color 

 moderately dark green, profusely marked with small, gray blotches 

 along the veins and at the intersections of the veinlets; petiole 

 moderately short and slender, 12-14 inches; spines very many, 

 moderately long and slender. Flowers — pistillate large, 7-7 ) ■> inches 



