Evening star., 1942-09-12


In some American families gourds
have been handed down from one
generation to the next and are re-
garded as family heirlooms. Our
grandparents and great-grand-
parents used them mainly for such
utilitarian things as egg baskets,
water dippers, buckets to catch the
sap from maple trees-even as pow
der horns for shotguns.
The standard coin of Haiti Is
called the gourde. This harks back
to the time when Christophe, Negro
king of Haiti, ordered his soldiers
to gather up all the green gourds
in the island and cart them to the
state treasury-a treasury" Incl
dentally, which contained neither
gold or silver; 227000 gourds we're
deposited" The people of Haiti
depended on the gourd for most OF
their necessities of life; Christophe
knew this. When the coffee crop
was ripe, the natives brought in
their produce and were paid off in
gourds. The coffee was put on the
export market and sold to foreign
merchants for gold. Within a year
Haiti had stable metal currency
in circulation--thanks to the gourd.
The dlshrag~ gourd, or loofah, Is
one of a common species of gourd
grown in yards throughout the
South. These plants are very orna-
mental and the fruit, when Young,
can be eaten as food. Inside the
shell is a thick fibrous material
| much like animal sponge-which Is
commonly used for household
scrubbing and cleaning; also as a
bath sponge.
Strange as it may sound. the
dishrag gourd is needed in the war
effort. They are being used by the
Navy and merchant marine as oil
filters IN the engines of ships. Jap
anese sponges were formerly used
for this purpose.
Although of tropical origin, many
species of gourds can be grown in
the United States. Their peculiar
shape and bright colors make them
an interesting garden ornament.
The fruit varies in size, depending
on the species of the plant. Ancient
writer's mentioned seeing gourds
3 and 4 feet in length and weighing
30 pounds. When cured and cleaned
OF seed fiber, they were used as
receptacles in which to store grains:
also for carrying and storing water.
In some parts of the world gourds
still enter into the daily life of
the people. The smaller ones are
used as drinking cups and for such
household utensils as dippers, spoons,
ladies, salt and sugar containers.
1t is an odd fact that gourds can
be made to grow in almost anv
wanted shape by tying bands of
soft tape around them. The stems
OF certain specimens used in max
ing calabash pipes are often bound
IN such way as to give the desired
curve or shape when fully matured.
Some smokers say calabash pipes
have the mildest and sweetest flavor
of all pipes.
Gourds grow rapidly and are
rather easy to cultivate. The seeds
should be planted only after all
danger OF frost is past. A light top
dressing OF nitrate of soda in COM
bination with rotted manure will
help the vines get off to good start.
Gourds do best when grown on an
aroor or trellis. This protects the
firmness and color of the fruit. Be-
cause of their rich foliage they maks
excellent porch screens and can
serve as a covering for unsightly OBJ
Jects IN the yard Near the end
OF the growing season-which u.s.
ually Is from four to five months
after planting-water should be
withheld from the plants. If this
Is not done the gourds may not
be fully ripe when frost comes and
will be of no further use. either
decorative or practical.
Gourds are frequently attacked
by the striped cucumber beetle Just
as the seedlings begin to sprout
from the ground. Dusting with a
rotenone dust containing OTIS per
cent of rotenone will put an end tn
the pest. applications should be MAIDS
at frequent intervals for several
weeks.
Melon aphids, small louise like In.
sectS, are sometimes troublesome,
A nicotine dust containing Il pound
OF 40 per cent nicotine sulphate to
424 pounds of hydrated lime is con-
sidered the best control measure,
To be effective the dust must coms
in contact with the body of the In
sect.