The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-09-18
The Fruit Of Creeping Vines.

oung-h1ll, and the housewife often
plants few squash seed in the garden
where the vines run over the Yegeta-
bles and do large amount of harm.
Occasionally a small farmer raises
| pumpkins in a corn field, as is the
general custom in the Eastern and Mid
die States. Few, however, devote a
| considerable amount of land in the pro-
duetlon OF melons, squashes and pump
klns. Within the past few years several
farmers in the latitude of the capital of
this State, and further south, have
turned their attention to the raising
OF melons as market crop
and found it profitable. The consump-
ton of melons is rapidly increasing in
all our cities and large towns. Chicago
has become one of the largest melon
markets in the world. During their
season not only carloads but train
loads are required to supply the de-
mand. Melons have become q common
| article of food. They are found on the
tables Of hotels, restaurants and private
families. The old idea that they are
unwholesome is no longer entertained.
Physicians now give testimony in favor
OF their healthfulness. During the past
few years several professional garden
ers and amateurs have added to the
number of varieties and greatly i'm
proved their quality. Unless farmer
lives in location that has favorable
soil and climate and good facilities for
transportation, he may not find melons
a profitable crop to raise for the mar
ket, but every farmer should raise
enough for the supply of his own family.
Attention has also lately been given
to the production of squashes as a mar
ket crop. They are in demand for the
supply of hotels and families at almost
all seasons of the year. Bakers now
buy large quantities of squashes for
making pies. Every few years there is
quite a demand for squashes to send to
the East. The shipment of squashes to
England has commenced, and the
amount of them sent abroad will prob
ably increase from year to year. The
bookkeeping varieties like the Hub
bard can be preserved during the win
ter with little liability to loss, and they
always command high prices in the
spring. Many squashes are now canned
and dried. As substitute for the
sweet potato the squash has no equal.
Eight tons of Hubbard squashes have
not unfrequently been raised on q
single acre of highly-manured and
well-cultiyated land. A crop like
this win pay as well as anything a
farmer can produce when we
take into consideration the cost
of raising. The cost of seed
is very light and the expense of harvest
! ing small. Sguashes should be raised
on dry and warm soil. 1t should be
made very rich with well-rotted stable
manure. Wood ashes and bone-meal,
as well as superphosphate of lime, are
also excellent fertilizers for squashes, as
they are for melons and pumpkins. The
T ground should be well pulverized. but
It need not be plowed deep. Poor
, squashes will be produced on clayey or
| damp soil, and they can not be relied
on to keep long time. The planting
4 can be delayed till most of the field
, crops are put in. Many plant in rows
1 hills eight or ten feet distant from each
\ other. But two plants are allowed to
grow in q hill, though five or six seeds
q are planted. The hill is made slightly
sloping, like saucer, and the seed i
covered about an inch and half deep
The earth above them is fattened, anC
!, made tolerably compact with hoe.
g Pumpkins can be planted in the same
manner as squashes, or they can bt
q raised to good advantage in connection
J. with corn by dropping the seed in every
fourth or fifth hill. Melons, squashe.
n and pumpkins, when grown in the field
a require substantially the same cultiva
ton. The soil about the plants should
J. be work with the hoe or garden trowel
. and the earth between the hills KEEP
mellow and free from weeds and grtS
,. by the employment of the cultiyator
which can be run both ways. After th'
\ weather becomes quite warm the vine
will soon cover the ground, and it i
d often advisable to shorten them so as t.
e prevent too much shade. The creates
- difficulty is with the little striped bug
le which in this latitude puts in his appear
! ance early in June. The young plant
= can be protected against this insect b
X covering them with a small box having
a single pane of glass fitted to th
. top and placed so that the raj
se viii run off from it. Small
boxes covered with mosquit
- netting answer the purpose nearly a
well. The plan of busting the youn
plants when they are wet with dew wit
D. land plaster is recommended to exten
sive growers. Some give no protection
u to the plant, but seed literally so tia
- enough plants will survive the work {
the insects. A few plant the seed of il
of ferior varieties of squashes in the vieiu
4 ity of the hills and in that way provid
food for the bugs. Melons, squashe
1t and pumpkins should be gathered be
a fore heavy frosts occur. A portion {
the vine should be left on the stem an
1t they should be allowed to become DR.
before they are placed under cove
y Squashes and pumpkins are valuable 6
10 food for fowls and animals Cattle an
a growing hogs viii eat them in the
~ raw state, but it is better to cook theI
st for poultry and hogs that are being ia
tened. In many places pumpkins an
squashes furnish, next to grass, tn
cheapest stock food that can be raises
st -CAicGgO Times.