﻿September, 
  1907 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  337 
  

  

  Wonders 
  of 
  the 
  Gourd 
  Vine 
  

  

  By 
  E. 
  E. 
  Willcox 
  

  

  ,HE 
  gourd 
  vine 
  is 
  easily 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  re- 
  

   markable 
  of 
  horticultural 
  growths. 
  It 
  will 
  

   produce 
  genuine 
  freaks 
  of 
  nature, 
  and 
  will 
  

   retain 
  their 
  forms 
  for 
  generations 
  if 
  prop- 
  

   erly 
  cared 
  for. 
  The 
  product 
  of 
  the 
  gourd 
  

   vines 
  is 
  not 
  only 
  astonishingly 
  interesting 
  

   and 
  varied 
  in 
  itself, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  capable 
  of 
  being 
  

  

  applied 
  to 
  all 
  sorts 
  of 
  useful 
  and 
  decorative 
  purposes, 
  which 
  

  

  add 
  immensely 
  to 
  the 
  interest 
  of 
  their 
  culture. 
  As 
  the 
  fruits 
  

  

  vary 
  greatly 
  in 
  size 
  and 
  shape, 
  even 
  on 
  the 
  same 
  vine, 
  their 
  

  

  decorative 
  uses 
  can 
  be 
  equally 
  individual 
  

  

  and 
  distinctive. 
  

  

  Gourds 
  should 
  be 
  planted 
  in 
  the 
  

  

  same 
  manner 
  as 
  pumpkins, 
  watermelons, 
  

  

  squashes 
  and 
  cucumbers, 
  but 
  never 
  near 
  

  

  them 
  ; 
  for 
  being 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  family 
  they 
  

  

  readily 
  hydridize 
  when 
  grown 
  in 
  the 
  

  

  same 
  vicinity, 
  and 
  the 
  fruit, 
  under 
  such 
  

  

  circumstances, 
  will 
  speedily 
  decay. 
  In 
  

  

  northern 
  climates 
  it 
  is 
  well 
  to 
  start 
  the 
  

  

  seed 
  within 
  doors 
  about 
  the 
  latter 
  part 
  

  

  of 
  March.. 
  The 
  seed 
  should 
  be 
  planted 
  

  

  in 
  three-inch 
  squares 
  of 
  upturned 
  sod, 
  

  

  the 
  root 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  seed 
  being 
  placed 
  

  

  down 
  and 
  covered 
  to 
  its 
  length 
  with 
  soil. 
  

  

  It 
  should 
  be 
  transplanted 
  when 
  the 
  warm 
  

  

  weather 
  is 
  certain, 
  and 
  given 
  plenty 
  of 
  

  

  sun 
  exposure, 
  training 
  and 
  tying 
  the 
  vine 
  

  

  to 
  an 
  ample 
  and 
  strong 
  support. 
  They 
  

  

  are 
  lusty 
  climbers, 
  growing 
  a 
  foot 
  or 
  

  

  more 
  in 
  twenty-four 
  hours. 
  

  

  The 
  large 
  varieties 
  should 
  be 
  tied 
  to 
  

  

  their 
  support 
  near 
  the 
  stem, 
  while 
  the 
  

  

  large 
  bottles 
  and 
  sugar-troughs 
  must 
  be 
  

  

  supported 
  underneath, 
  as 
  otherwise 
  they 
  

  

  will 
  tear 
  away 
  from 
  the 
  vine 
  during 
  storms. 
  Hercules 
  clubs, 
  

  

  dippers 
  and 
  all 
  the 
  long-necked 
  varieties 
  must 
  hang 
  clear 
  of 
  

  

  everything 
  lest 
  they 
  chafe, 
  which 
  causes 
  decay 
  or 
  an 
  imperfect 
  

  

  A 
  Large 
  Bottle 
  Vase 
  with 
  Spoon- 
  

   Gourd 
  Legs 
  

  

  gourd. 
  The 
  fruit 
  should 
  never 
  be 
  distorted 
  during 
  its 
  

   period 
  of 
  growth 
  with 
  the 
  idea 
  of 
  obtaining 
  a 
  strange 
  shape. 
  

   Such 
  products 
  are 
  unnatural 
  and 
  of 
  no 
  real 
  interest. 
  It 
  is 
  

   much 
  more 
  fascinating 
  to 
  hydridize, 
  a 
  work 
  done 
  partly 
  by 
  

   the 
  plant 
  grower 
  and 
  partly 
  by 
  the 
  bees. 
  To 
  accomplish 
  this 
  

   work 
  successfully 
  freely 
  flowering 
  plants 
  should 
  be 
  grown 
  

   near 
  the 
  vine 
  to 
  be 
  hybridized. 
  The 
  gourds 
  should 
  be 
  

   grown 
  in 
  groups 
  to 
  secure 
  good 
  results: 
  the 
  long-handled 
  

   dipper 
  with 
  the 
  novelty 
  gourd; 
  the 
  short-handled 
  dipper 
  with 
  

   the 
  long-necked 
  bottle; 
  the 
  Hercules 
  club 
  with 
  the 
  long 
  ser- 
  

   pent. 
  Never 
  plant 
  a 
  Hercules 
  club 
  with 
  

   a 
  sugar-trough, 
  for 
  they 
  are 
  too 
  widely 
  

   separated, 
  even 
  if 
  they 
  be 
  somewhat 
  

   near, 
  and 
  will 
  either 
  be 
  late 
  in 
  fruiting 
  

   or 
  blast 
  when 
  partly 
  formed. 
  When 
  the 
  

   plants 
  show 
  signs 
  of 
  flowering, 
  a 
  minia- 
  

   ture 
  gourd 
  before 
  the 
  buds 
  burst 
  is 
  an 
  

   indication 
  of 
  a 
  female 
  blossom. 
  This 
  

   will 
  continue 
  to 
  develop 
  if 
  the 
  bees, 
  in 
  

   their 
  search 
  for 
  honey, 
  have 
  attacked 
  

   sufficient 
  male 
  blossoms 
  to 
  gather 
  suf- 
  

   ficient 
  pollen 
  on 
  their 
  legs 
  to 
  bring 
  about 
  

   the 
  fertilization 
  of 
  the 
  female 
  flower. 
  

   If 
  the 
  flower 
  develops 
  the 
  result 
  is 
  sure 
  

   to 
  be 
  as 
  strange 
  and 
  odd 
  as 
  can 
  be 
  

   desired. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  fruit 
  turns 
  a 
  light 
  or 
  yellow- 
  

   ish 
  color 
  it 
  has 
  developed 
  sufficiently 
  to 
  

   be 
  saved. 
  When 
  frosts 
  kill 
  the 
  vine, 
  or 
  

   moldy 
  spots 
  appear, 
  the 
  fruit 
  may 
  be 
  

   cut 
  off. 
  The 
  cuticle-like 
  covering 
  may 
  

   then 
  be 
  scraped 
  away 
  with 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  a 
  

   spoon, 
  and 
  the 
  gourd 
  thoroughly 
  washed 
  

   with 
  a 
  rough 
  cloth. 
  It 
  should 
  then 
  be 
  

   placed 
  in 
  the 
  sun 
  to 
  dry, 
  or 
  subjected 
  to 
  

   artificial 
  heat, 
  the 
  drying 
  process, 
  by 
  either 
  method, 
  being 
  

   one 
  of 
  the 
  utmost 
  importance. 
  The 
  gourds 
  are 
  now 
  ready 
  

   for 
  decorative 
  treatment. 
  Only 
  the 
  best 
  and 
  most 
  perfect 
  

  

  The 
  Large 
  Bottle 
  Gourd 
  Readily 
  Lends 
  

   Itself 
  to 
  Decoration 
  

  

  A 
  Column 
  of 
  Hybrids, 
  Golf 
  Sticks, 
  Drum- 
  

   Major, 
  and 
  Long- 
  Handled 
  Dipper 
  

  

  The 
  Large 
  Bottle 
  Gourd 
  Must 
  be 
  

   Supported 
  from 
  Above 
  

  

  