604 



TUE PUMPKIN AND GOURD. 



from eight inches to ten inches. A very early cucumber, and well adapted 

 for winter forcing. 



Duncans Victoria. Skin deep green, set tliickly with black spines; length 

 from twenty-four inches to twenty-eight inches. ]\lr. Duncan, who raised 

 this variety, has had fruit four inches long previous to the expansion of the 

 bloom, and twenty-four inches long in nine days from the setting ! He con- 

 siders it one of the finest varieties of cucumber in existence. 



Weedons Cucumber is an excellent kind for early forcing, and is a good 

 bearer; but, according to Ayres, it is neither long nor finely formed. Allen's 

 Victory of Suffolk Mr. Ayres considers a splendid variety ; he has grown it 

 to the length of twenty-four inches in the open garden, and to thirty inches 

 in pots. Snow's Horticultural Prize approximates to Mr. Ayres' criterion 

 of a perfect cucumber the nearest of any he has yet met with. The Small 

 Russian cucumber is considered the best for pickling, and the large white 

 Bonneuil for stewing. 



SuBSECT. V — The Pumpkin and Gourd. 



13-iO. The Pumpkin, or more properly Pompion, and Gourd, Cucurbita L. 

 (Courge, Fr.j Kiirbis, Ger.; Kauwoerde, Dutch; Zucca, Ital.; Calabaza, 

 Span.; and Albobaro, Port.) are trailing or climbing tendrilled annuals, 

 natives of tropical climates, and long in cultivation, both in the old and new 

 world, for their fruit. This, in some varieties, is used in a ripe state, and in 

 others before it is fully grown, in soups, stews, pies, tarts, boiled or fried, and 

 as a substitute for greens or spinach. In Hungar}^ sugar has been obtained 

 from the gourd at the rate of 100 lbs. to between 2000 lbs. and 8000 lbs. of 

 pumpkins ; and an excellent edible oil is obtained there from the seeds, at 

 the rate of 1 lb. of oil to 5 lbs. of seeds. The tender points of the shoots may 

 in many cases be substituted for the fruit, or used as greens or spinach. The 

 kinds in cultivation are very numerous, but the leading sorts are as follow : — 



The Pumpkin, or Pompion., C. Pepo, L. (Potiron, Fr.; Pfebenkiirbis, 

 Ger,) Large, roundish, smooth, green striped or blotched with white. The 

 oldest variety in cultivation in England ; tender and excellent in an unripe 

 state as a substitute for greens, and mixed with apples in pies, but not near 

 so good when fully ripe. 



Spanish Pumpkin., C. Pepo var. L.; Potiron d' Espagne, Fr.; Spanische 

 Pfebenkiirbis, Ger. Middle size, somewhat flattened ; skin green, smooth, 

 hard ; flesh firm, and of an excellent flavour. Said to be greatly preferable 

 to the precedmg variety. 



The Vegetable Marrow, C. ovifera, var. L.; Courge a la moelle, Fr.; 

 Markige Melonen-kiirbis, Ger. ; Succada, Ital. Under the middle size, oval, 

 five inches to eight inches long ; pale yellow ; flesh tender till the fruit is 

 ripe, when it becomes stringy. One of the best gourds in cultivation when 

 used in a young state, and before the seeds begin to be matured. The sweet 

 gourd of Brazil closely resembles this variety both in form and properties. 



The Mammoth Gourd, syn. American Gourd, C. maxima, Pepo, Dec./ 

 Potiron jaune, Fr.; and Melonen-kiirbis, Ger. Very large, sometimes 

 weighing 160 lbs., and one has been grown of the enormous weight of 245 lbs., 

 at Luscombe, in Devonshire ; round ; skin yellow ; flesh deep yellow, solid. 

 Used as a substitute for turnips, carrots, &c., in soups and broths, and for 

 potatoes and other vegetables, with meat. It is only used when ripe, and 

 in that state will keep several months, even though a portion should be cut 



