The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-12-25
Keeping Winter SGuashes.

Editors Country Gentleman: 10 keep
winter squash III perfection through the win
Ter and till >Guashes come again i IN art
that few possess. or at least succeed III.
There are certain essentials requisite ii the
GOOD Keeping OF squash that arc only re-
Quir"d b. 4 lew other products. they are
essentially alropical production transferred
aud, by JUdici0us culture. acciimatcd III their
growth 20 i temperate climate, and in order
10 their winter keeping they need treating
rs tropical fruits and productions.
OF hrs! Importance is it that they should
ne thoroughly ripcncd before being har-
.cStcd. ana that before any severe frost> oc-
.ur. as Il very slight touch Of frost will de-
Icat their good Keeping. They should he
carefully gathered. retaining the stems on
The fruit, in the middle OF q dry day: hdn-
die carefully, not 10 brlti>c or break the
skin carry them 10 u dry room that can DC
kept above the freezing temperature, and
have free ventilation ard be opened to the
| mir days, to remain 4 month or two, laying
them il single tiers ON shelves and on the
door. Piled in piles, or one On another, Is
Injurious. a. they accumulate moisture,
heat, ct&., which induces mould, leading to
decay 4 little dry SWcct-str;.W spread un-
der them will prove beneficial. When tine
weather becomes - cold that they are liable
TO he frozen or chilled, they must be removed
10 safe qllartcrs-yet there is no better place
they can be kept in than dry, We'll Vcnli-
lated room, above ground, where the tenn
peraturc never sinks to the frost point but
lew are provided with just these requisites.
or like to 70 the expense OF the same yet
most have 4 closet opening froma room that
is kept warm through the winter, Where L
few could be safely kept sngly on shelves.
For the latest Keeping, 1t Is essential tnai the
temperature be kept ~ near even as possible.
The ma ioritv are only provided with eel
lars and here they must store their squash
and other vegetables. But there Is great
difference in cellars some are warm and
damp, others cold, wet, &C.; dry cellar Is
the best for keeping fruits and vegetables
generally, be it cold or warm. Tie most
successful farmer Ill Keeping squash | ever
knew kept them on Il hanging shelf in III
old fashion kitchen With lire Of wood i'll an
open fire place. lie used to place them sing
" on the shelf, and sometimes hang them by
Il cord to pegs in the beam overhead, and
there they would keep sweet and sound III
new squash came again-the old - back log -,
always kept warm Wltha bed OF Goals 'raked
VI" in front nightly.
In nv own experience have succeeded
in keeping till late in spring III the cellar:
Gather them before any frost touch the rlnd
TO leave its mark put them III the barn OF
some outbuild;ng til the weather becomes
cold and there is danger Of freezing, when
the most perfect are selected and carried to
the cellar and placed on shelves, i'll The dark
est part of the cellar, in single tiers, 50 that
they will not touch each other; here they
remain. using from them as desirable, Sc
lectinr so as l. leave the very best for the
last. In well ventilated cellar they keep
very well till spring in this way. 1t is
essential to the good keeping of squash or
fruit of any kind that The shelves or boards
with which they come IN contact be perfect
" sound, sweet and clean, and that there be
means Of thorough ventilation, and the AIR
kept pure III al rcspccts.-N. II. Whste,
South Windsor, Conn.,, an the Country Gen
iC;nQn.