THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



143 



the same number of carpels (rarely three) is 

 one which prevails in this group. 



Heretofore it has generally been understood, 

 and is so stated by most botanists, that pump- 

 kins and squashes were originally natives of 

 Asia. On the contrary, I find in ancient works 

 abundant evidence that they were unknown in 

 the Eastern Hemisphere before the discovery 

 of America, and that they were originally na- 

 tives of the tropical and warm parts of Ame- 

 rica, and that they were extensively cultivated 

 by the native Indians from Canada to Chili, 

 before any European settlements were made on 

 this Continent. 



After a very careful examination of the plants 

 and the fruits of as many kinds as I could ob- 

 tain or raise, I have discovered certain distin- 

 guishing characters which will enable us to 

 class all of them in three natural groups. These 

 are, 



1st. Summer squashes — such as the broad 

 scalloped, the long and warted, the round or 

 orange, the variegated or gourd-squashes, and 

 various other kinds. Most of these (but not 

 all) have upright vines which do not run, (hence 

 sometimes called bush-squashes,) and small or 

 feeble tendrils or claspers. Their leaves are 

 very rough, and mostly five lobed (like a grape 

 vine leaf.) The fruit when cut across is found 

 generally to have five double rows of seeds; 

 more rarely, only three double rows. The fruit- 

 stem is enlarged next the fruit, and is deeply 

 five-furrowed and five-angled. The fruit (which 

 ripens early) is fit to be eaten only in an unripe 

 state, or while it still remains tender. When 

 fully ripe, the rind becomes whitish or pale, 

 hard and brittle, like a gourd-shell;* and the 

 pulp is dry and spongy. The seeds are small 

 and thin, and of grayish or dirty yellowish color. 



2d. Pumpkins and winter squashes — includ- 

 ing our common New England field pumpkins, 

 the crook-necked squashes, the custard squash, 

 and many other kinds. All these have running 

 vines, with strong branched tendrils or claspers, 

 very rough more or less deeply five lobed leaves, 

 and a five furrowed and five angled fruit-stem, 

 which is very much enlarged towards the fruit. 

 On being cut across, the fruit is found to have 

 only three double rows of seeds. The fruit is 

 fit to be eaten only when fully ripe, and it may 

 be kept, with care, all winter. It does not dry 

 up like summer squashes, but finally rots and 

 becomes soft and spoiled throughout. The rind, 

 mostly thin and tender, never becomes dry, 

 woody and brittle ; and the pulp remains fleshy 

 and succulent till it decays. The seeds are 

 larger than those of summer squashes, but are 

 also thin and grayish or yellowish. 



3d. Nippled pumpkins and squashes — such 



as the mammoth pumpkin or potiron, your Cuba 

 squashes, Valparaiso squashes, the acorn squash, 

 the autumnal marrow squash, and some others. 

 All these have running or climbing vines, with 

 strong branched tendrils. The leaves are rather 

 soft, some of them as soft and velvety as those 

 of the mallow; they are never deeply lobed, 

 but more often nearly round or heart shaped. 

 The fruit stem is short, thick, wrinkled, but 

 not five angled and not five furrowed, and when 

 green is nearly as thick at one end as at the 

 other. The fruit when cut across, is found 

 generally to have four or five double rows of 

 seeds, more rarely only three double rows ; and 

 I have found this smaller number only in the 

 autumnal marrow squashes, and it is by no 

 means a constant character even in them, four 

 or five double rows being occasionally found in 

 them. The fruit is fit to be eaten in autumn 

 and winter, and only when fully ripe. It is 

 always distinguished, however various the shape , 

 and size, by having a small nipple-like projec- 

 tion at the blossom end, this projection being 

 the permanent style of the blossom, the rind, 

 which is generally remarkably thin and tender, 

 never becomes hard, dry, woody and brittle. 

 The flesh, often of a rich orange color, and re- 

 markably sweet and fine grained, never dries 

 up or becomes spongy like that of summer 

 squashes, but remains succulent till it rois. 

 The seeds are large, broad, thick or plump, 

 mostly of a beautiful clear white color ; but in 

 certain very dark fleshed varieties, the seeds 

 are of the color of old ivory, or cream colored. 



Now, I am strongly inclined to the belief 

 that all the pumpkins and squashes of this third 

 division were originally natives of the ivestern 

 side of America, as Chili, Peru, Mexico and 

 California. Some of them have doubtless been 

 introduced into the West Indies, whence they 

 occasionally are brought to our markets. 



From the Farm Journal. 

 CHICKENS. 



Mr. Editor, — Perhaps at this peculiar period 

 of hen-roost celebrity, while the attention of far- 

 mers and house-holders is so urgently directed to- 

 ward the improvement of their chickens, a woman 

 may be permitted to give the result of her own ex- 

 perience, for the benefit of those unfortunate mor- 

 tals who are unable to obtain the far famed Shang- 

 hai or other imported crowers and cacklers. 



I have been nominal mistress to flocks of chickens 

 during at least twenty summers, but for a great 

 part of the time I left the management of the poul- 

 try yard to whoever was pleased to attend to it. 

 And it was managed after this manner : the eggs 

 were collected for eating, as long as the cool spring 

 weather continued, and no hens permitted to sit 

 until May or June : then the earliest chickens were 



