Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1856-06-06
Hints on Growing Sanashes.

The Marrow or the Acorn il the oply
variety that should be planted in the gar
den. Either is 50 much better than tho
crooked neck that it will be generally,
if not universally, preferred. Our FIRST
hint to squash growers is to procure hte
seeds Of one Of these varieties, and to look
no further Ii their experience accords
with ours, they will look in vain for any
thing better.
The planting Of squash, 50 that it
will do justice to its variety, requires spe-
cial preparation. If your soil is well
trenched two feet deep, and manured at
the rate of half cord to the spare rod, you
may plant without further care. But in
most gardens, with the mould less than =
foot deep, and a hard sub-soil, . hole
should be dug three feet across, and two
feet deep. Put the sub-soil BY itself.
Fill the hole half full of compost, IN
which muck forms two-thirds Of the
bulk. Fill the remainder with surface
soil, and plant the seed about tie middle
of May. the advantage Of this prepara-
tion is that the roots are kept moist in
the hottest weather and furnished with
abundance Of food when they most need it.
This is our second hint.
When the young plants are fairly up,
and there should be at least six Of them,
the bugs will lay claim to the whole, and
will be sertain to have them unless you
froestall their operations. Sprinkle them
with powder made of four parts plaster
of Paris, and one part Peruvian guano.
The powder shculd be thoroughly mixed,
or the guano will be likely to destroy the
leaves. 1t should be applied Immediately
after every shower, if it rains twice day.
The only safety for the plant is, in having
every part of the surface Of the leaves
.prinkled with the mixture. They will
need close watching for some ten days,
.-1 auita likely there Will be occasion to
use the thumb and finger upon ~. A-e-
after the dredging box. But this is the
bes. safeguard We have ever tried, and the
guano, gradually dissOlving in the dews
and rains, makes the young plants push
along rapidly. Leave but three plants il
hill to grow. Keep the bugs of, is our
third hint.
If you have the best kind Of squash,
of course you wish to keep the seeds pure,
for yourself and your neighbOn- To do
this you must begin with the young fruit,
before it blossoms. Here is female
plant, the fruit is all formed, and tho
flower will open tomorrow; and tomor-
row bees and insects will bring pollen from
the pumpkins in your neighbor's coru6sld
a mile distsut, perhaps, and make by
brid Of every ssed in that fruit. To pre-
vent the access of insects, enclose the
young plant carefully in piece Of lace.
and when it opens tomorrow, bring pol
len from . staminate flower, guarded in
the same manner, and with q csmePs-
hair pencil apply it to the pistil. Restore
the piece of lace, and in day or two the
blossom will infe1, and all danger Of cros-
sing will be past. You can mark this
fruit by stake, and preserve j. for seed.
1t will be true to its kind. Melons and
cucumbers can be kept pure in the same
way. 1t is very little trouble, and the
process is so simple that an intelligent
boy can perform it. This is our fourth
and last hint-Ne,c- York Observer