412 The Principles of Vegetable- Gardening 



crops is that the young plants do not secure a quick hold 

 on the soil. This is usually due to the fact that the soil 

 is not thoroughly well prepared or is not warm and well 

 drained, and there is not sufiScient available fertilizer 

 within reach of the young plant. In the North, this 

 quick start is exceedingly important, since the season is 

 so short that every day must be made to count. In cu- 

 cumbers, the quick start is not so important as in melons 

 and squashes, since the plants come into bearing earlier. 

 Many fields of squashes in the North are lost because the 

 plants do not get to work before July or August, and 

 then the dry weather comes and the blooming is de- 

 layed so long that the young fruits are caught by frost. 



All cucurbitous crops are grown in hills. Usually 

 each hill should be specially prepared, at least in the 

 northern states, and on land that is rather hard and 

 coarse. A space 1 or 2 feet across is spaded up loosely, 

 and light, loose earth or scrapings from the barnyard are 

 mixed with it. A handful of fertilizer should be scattered 

 in the soil. If the land is hard and late, it is well to 

 remove the soil and to fill the space with fine earth and 

 manure. In the warm and light melon lands of the 

 South, where the seasons are longer, this precaution 

 may not be necessary. 



The young plants are very likely to be ruined by the 

 attacks of the striped beetle and other enemies. It is im- 

 portant, therefore, that the seed be sown freely. If one- 

 fourth or one -fifth of the plants escape their enemies, 

 the grower may consider himself fortunate. In some 

 cases growers plant pumpkin or squash seeds in the field 

 very early in order to attract the striped beetle where 



