1864.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
113 
Helps in the Garden. 
In laying out and planting the vegetable, fruit, 
or flower garden, there are several convenient 
implements which can he made with little 
trouble, and which will greatly facilitate work. 
A Garden Reel.— This is to hold a line 
which is to serve as a guide in running straight 
lines from one point to another. Iron ones are 
sold at the seed stores,,but a home-made one 
will answer as well. Pig. 1, shows the shape. 
The side pieces, A, A, are made of curved limbs, 
or' may be worked out of straight stuff, about 
I inch in diameter, and 12 to 15 inches long. 
The cross-pieces, B, B , are 2 inches wide, i to j 
inch thick, and 1 foot long; these have holes 
near the end through which the side pieces pass 
and project above and below for about an inch. 
The centre stake, 0, is 2 to.2i ; feet long, 1 inch 
in diameter where it passes through the cross¬ 
pieces,, and with a shoulder below the lower 
cross-piece, from which place it gradually tapers 
to a point. A pin through the upper end of the 
centre piece, above where it passes through the 
upper cross¬ 
bar, will pre¬ 
vent it from 
slipping out. 
The best cord 
is a small 
hempen one, of 
a length suited 
to the size of 
the garden; 
and if tarred it 
will last all the 
longer. One 
end is fastened 
to one of the 
side pieces of 
the reel, and 
the cord wound 
up by turning 
the frame by 
means of the 
handle, D, the 
other end be¬ 
ing fastened to 
Fig. 1—garden REEL. a sharpened 
pin, E , which is made about eighteen inches 
long, and of the size of G. All parts of the reel 
should be made of hard wood, and with careful 
use it will last for years. To use the reel, thrust 
the stake portion firmly in the ground at one 
end of the bed, or other work to be laid out, and 
walk ofl with the pin to the desired point; drive 
the pin into the ground, then stretch the line 
tight and secure it by taking a turn around the 
projecting corners of the frame of the reel. 
A Marker. —Very convenient for making 
drills at equal distances. Fig. 2, shows the 
usual form. A piece of scantling has a handle 
fastened to it horizontally and well braced. 
Teeth of hard wood, about 18 inches long, 
rather bluntly pointed, are fastened at the dis¬ 
tances required for the rows. It is convenient 
to have three sizes, with the teeth at 12,15 and 
18 inches apart. To use the marker set the line 
as a guide and run it with the first tooth next 
the line; afterward the marker is guided by 
running one tooth in a mark previously made. 
Compasses. —A pair of rude compasses made 
of lath or light stuff, about 8 feet long, fastened 
together at one end by a screw so that the 
points can be set at any required distance. This 
is convenient in spacing off distances at which 
to set plants in rows. The line being stretched 
the length of the row, the spaces can be marked 
off very rapidly by the compasses. It is very 
very useful also for striking circles or curves. 
Plank.— A plank a foot or 15 inches wide, 
and long enough to go across the beds, will be 
found very useful in sowing many seeds. Lay 
the plank square across the bed, and with a 
small stick or the finger make a scratch or drill, 
using the edge of the plank as a ruler. Sow the 
seeds, then turn the plank over and put in anoth¬ 
er row; by turning the plank carefully, the rows 
will be just as far apart as its width and thick¬ 
ness, and the plank serves to stand upon while 
sowing, thus avoiding any trampling of the bed. 
The Turban Squash. 
This variety is not a new one, but it is not 
very generally known. It has recently been 
cultivated quite largely by J. J. H. Grego¬ 
ry, of Marblehead, Mass., the gentleman to 
whom we are indebted for the introduction of 
the Hubbard; he thinks its merits have been 
overlooked. It has also been called the Acorn 
squash on account of the prominence at the 
blossom end. The engraving shows a speci¬ 
men with this protuberance unusually large; 
the squashes upon the same vine will vary in 
this respect from the form here shown to those 
in which it is but slightly developed. The spec¬ 
imens shown by Mr. Gregory at the Exhibition 
at the Agriculturist Office last autumn, were about 
8 lbs. in weight, and of a fine orange-red color. 
The flesh is high colored, very heavy, fine 
grained, dry, sweet, and of good flavor, and it is 
in perfection when first taken from the vine, 
while the Hubbard requires to be kept to de¬ 
velop its good qualities. Mr. Gregory gives the 
following notes in regard to it. “ The Turban 
TURBAN SQUASH. 
should be planted in good soil about 8x9 feet, 
and not over two vines left to the hill. Under 
high cultivation it will yield at the rate of six 
tons to the acre, which it did with me during 
the past season. It should be planted as early 
as the season admits, be permitted to grow 
through the entire season, if intended to store 
for late keeping. Gather and store within a few 
days, in a dry, airy apartment, laying the squash 
on its side, not standing it 1 acorn’ down as its 
shape invites, for the calyx end is the tenderest 
part of the squash. Avoid the bad practice of 
piling this or any other variety of thin skinned 
squash in the field, as a series of cold rains will 
be sure to injure their quality and keeping prop¬ 
erties. The Turban is a good keeper.” With 
the Turban, Yokohama, and Hubbard, there 
would seem to be but little room for improve¬ 
ment in late squashes, in quality at least. 
The Martynia. 
This, like the tomato, was formerly cultivated 
as an ornament, but is now finding its way into 
the vegetable garden, though the seedsmen in 
their catalogues still include it with the flower 
seeds. The most common species is the Martyn¬ 
ia proboscidea , a native of the warmer portions 
of North America. It is a rather coarse annual, 
with strong spreading branches, and coarse 
clammy foliage. The flowers are in clusters and 
about as large as those of the fox-glove, white 
and marked in the throat with yellow or pur¬ 
ple spots. They are succeeded by a curious 
curved pod, which when young is fleshy, but 
which soon becomes woody, and when quite 
ripe, splits at the beak into two strong bent 
horns. Each pod contains several large, black, 
rough seeds. The engraving shows a branch 
with flowers and fruit all of reduced size. The 
botanical name is given in honor of Prof. Mar- 
tyn, an English botanist of the last century, 
and its common names of Unicorn-plant and 
Buffalo-horn, are in allusion to the shape of the 
fruit. The unripe pods, taken when very ten¬ 
der, make most excellent pickles, as is noticed 
on another page. There are other species with 
yellow and purple flowers, but we have not 
known the fruit of these to be used, though it 
will probably answer the same as this one. 
When cultivated for the fruit, it should be grown 
on light, warm soil, as too rich soils produce too 
great a growth of stem and leaves. The plants 
should stand at least two feet apart. Ti, 1 seed 
may be early sown in the place where it is to 
remain, or it may be started earlier under shelter 
and then transplanted. Sow when danger from 
frost is over, and cultivate the same as tomatoes. 
