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No. 33] OU eres aa 
MELON, SQUASH, CUCUMBER. 
As we have already remarked, our cucurbitaceous plants were not a 
decided success. The cold season and the heavy soil, combined with 
the-depredations of insects, were so unfavorable to the development of 
the plants that many of them failed to perfect a fruit. We will not 
present our results in tabular form, but will simply note those so-called 
varieties that were sufficiently hardy to mature a fair crop of fruit, 
despite the unfavorable conditions. We planted one hundred seeds of 
each of the so-called varieties offered by our leading seedsmen, in 
drills ten feet long, first mixing with the surface soil a layer of coal 
ashes two inches thick. ‘The application of the coal ashes was,an ex- 
periment intended to prevent, in a measure, the severe baking to which 
our heavy soil is so liable. The seeds were planted May 17-and 18. 
Of muskmelons the following matured a fair crop of fruits: Allen’s 
Superb, Boston Large Nutmeg, Boston Pet, Burpee’s Netted Gem, 
_ Cassaba, Early White Japan, White Japanese, Green Nutmeg, Hack- 
ensack, Improved Orange Christiana, Christiana, Jenny Lind, Long 
Persian, Log of Wood, Pineapple, Prolific Nutmeg, Sill’s Hybrid, 
Skillman’s Fine Netted, New Surprise and Valparaiso. 
The following were not total failures: Ward’s Nectar, Shaw’s 
Golden Superb, Round Yellow Cantaloupe, Chicago Nutmeg and Bay 
View. 
In flavor we found the Boston Pet and Chicago Nutmeg very su- 
perior. Burpee’s Netted Gem was very prolific, though the fruits 
were quite small. The Log of Wood was the first to mature a fruit, 
ripening a specimen on September 18. The Improved Orange Chris- 
tiana and Christiana are undoubtedly the same variety. The Harly 
White Japan and White Japanese, however, are distinct. 
Of watermelons, but three matured a fair crop, viz.: Apple Pie, 
Apple Seeded and Odella.’ The following, however, were not total 
failures: Black Italian, Black Spanish, Citron, Cuban Queen, Early 
Jersey, New Round Excelsior, Gypsy, Golden Fleshed, Goodwin’s Im- 
perial, Peerless or Ice Cream, Phinney’s Early, Sculptured Seeded 
_ Japan and Vick’s Early. | 
Of squashes the following matured a fair crop: Early White Bush 
Scallop, Early Yellow Bush Scallop, Green Striped Bergen, Perfect 
Gem, Summer Golden Crookneck, Turban, Canada Crookneck and 
Vegetable Marrow. The following were not total failures: Mammoth, 
Low’s Premium Hybrid, Essex Hybrid, Custard Marrow, Butman and 
Boston Marrow. 
The Low’s Premium Hybrid, Essex Hybrid and Turban are scarcely 
distinct, but owing to the limited number of fruits produced, we would 
not declare them synonymous. 
Of cucumbers the following produced a fair crop: Boston Pickling, 
_ Karly Russian, Early Short Green, Extra Long White Spine, Long 
Green, Perfection Pickling and Tailby’s Hybrid. The Early Short 
Green and Tailby’s Hybrid really did well. The New Jersey Hybrid, 
White Spine, Long Green Smooth, Early Frame and Early Cluster 
- were not total failures. 
We also planted seeds of -five so-called varieties of pumpkin and ten 
of gourd, but few fruits of either matured. 
[Assem. Doc. No. 33.] 24 
