The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1899-08-05
. FARM I A AND GA RDEN J,
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO
, AGRiCULTURISTS sas,a
Some Up-tc~Date Hints About Gull
tiyation sof the Son and Yields
Observation-Disclosures, viticulture and
= Flor5culture. $s + ~ Il. .sss>s Ea# ,..s

How Mammoth Squashes Are Raised.
Three mammoth squashes, which
I grew this year, weighed 3S811z, 355as
and S4a pounds each. By the same sys-
tenn Of cultivation I grow the largest
watermelons and citrons in this part of
the country. Three citrons exhibited
this year weighed 35 pounds each. MY
procedure is as below, writes con,
tribrtor gto Country Gentleman:
My land is made in good condition,
being heavily manured every year; 1t
rs OF "a >gravelly formation, with about
sixteen inches Of clay loan on top. A
observation-disclosures squash can be
grown ton any part Of it by the follow
ing method of cultivation: For each
hill i intend to plant, about the 1st
OF April II take two good wheelbarrow-
loadsmfhen manure and mix with four
harrows of good soil taken from some
Part Of the lot; this is mixed a second
{ time the middle Of April. The list of
May add four barrows of wellrotted
manure and mix thoroughly; then,
about the 18th of May, make the hills
and plant; dig out a space z feet in
diameter and IA inches deep, fill in my
compost mixing, and with it some OF
the best earth which was thrown out.
When finished, the hill will be about
10 feet in diameter and inches higher
in the center than the surrounding lev
Ell. Then plant the seed. Hills want to
be about 20 feet apart. Work the
ground well until the plants commence
to run. When about feet long, I
mulch the ground all over for 20 feet
IN diameter around each hill with horse
manure 3 inches deep, and stake the
vines down with sticks to keep the
wind from rolling them about, so that
they may root at every joint. It is
OF great advantage to keep the vine
from fruiting as long as possible, by
pruning all fruit bloom off until about
the last week in July. This will give
time enough to mature 300-pound
squash by the LIST Of October, for
there must be a big vine to pro-
{ rduce big squash. I practice fertiliz-
ing g few Of the first blooms that come
When q ssE think the vine is strong enough
to grow a good specimen, by cutting
off some of the fresh false bloom,
trimming the eorolla or flower leaf
OFF, and rubbing the stamen in around
the fresh fruit blooms. This is nec-
essary when fruit bloom opens on a
morning that is unfavorable for bees
to do their work, and it assures the
SPtflnp iy1cf
you want them. It also, gives extra
vigor to the growth of fruit to be well
pollenized. When the first perfect
specimens have set well, say 4 or 5
inches in diameter, cut all other fruit
and blossoms off and nip the ends off
vines and .all bloom that shows twice
a. week, so that the vine is not ex-
hausted with the great quantity of
false bloom that would naturally
come. Now, while the great growth of
the squash is going on I use liquid
manure twice week along three or
four of the principal vines of each
hill-often six pals to the hill, if it
Is In dry time. Great care must be
taken to give plenty of water; for in
stance, in 1893, when I grew the great
specimen that was the largest on exhi-
bition at the Worlds Fair, it was
dry time with us, and having the ad-
vantage of the town water service. I
sprayed each hill twice a week through
August. and the first two weeks in
September, drenching the ground each
time.
I suppose. all have heard of feeding
squash and pumpkin by injecting milk
or other stuff. This is ridiculous
humbug. have practiced several
methods along this line when I was
younger, but it only makes me
ashamed to confess it, and I am now
quite satisfied that the only thing
that will increase the size of the fr,,if
comes out Of the vine, and the vine
must ru get its support from the natural
roots. .aa l. u
:, . I. ...s...*.. ------- - :~
- aAlkalies and Plant Growth.
Z. Most Of the cultivated plants will
not stand a large supply of alkaI in