SQUASH, a garden vegetable, the fruit of several species of the genus Cucurbita (order Cucurbitacea). They are vine-like tendril-bear ing herbs, with large rough leaves on long hol low stalks, have large moncecious yellow flowers borne singly in the axils of the leaves, and fol lowed by hard fruits of many forms and sizes. They are natives of warm climates, but are cul tivated as annuals in temperate regions through out the world. The summer squashes are derived from C. pepo mainly, and the winter kinds principally from C. maxima, though C. moschata also enters into many varieties. The first species, which is also parent of the pump kin (q.v.), has given rise to the scallop, patty pan and summer crookneck squashes, the first known in southern markets as simlins, sym blings and various similar names; the third is the parent of the winter and Canada crookneck. China and cushaw squashes. C. moschata and C. pepo have been crossed artificially, but none of these species are known to cross under field conditions, and the other pairs among these three species have not been crossed artificially.
Squashes thrive best in long seasons, in warm situations and upon light, loamy but only moderately rich well-drained soils. In the North they are often planted too early and are injured by late spring frosts and they often fail to mature all their fruits because the early frosts of autumn injure the vines. To obviate these results the plants are frequently started under glass upon pieces of sod or in pots and are transplanted to the field when seeds could be safely planted. About three weeks is the max imum time to allow between sowing and trans planting, the plants being likely to be too large for best results if older. The soil should be deeply and finely prepared and marked off in checks prior to sowing. For gbushp and sum mer squashes 4 x 4 feet is the usual distance; for winter and viny kinds 8 or 12 feet. Most growers allow only two or three plants to each °hill," but plant 12 or even more seeds in the hills to guard against contingencies. The
ground is kept cleanly cultivated until the vines prevent tillage. In the North, the vines should not be allowed to root at the joints be cause this prolongs the vegetative period, and here if one fruit sets long in advance of others upon a vine it is usually cut off since other fruits often fail to form. Two or three squashes are usually calculated upon per vine for winter varieties; summer kinds will often continue to bear until frost if the fruits are removed as soon as they attain edible size. Winter squashes may be successfully stored for several months but they should be gathered before frost, handled with extreme gentleness to avoid the slightest bruise even to the hardest speci mens and kept at a rather low temperature in a dry atmosphere until needed for use.
Several insects feed upon the squash and sometimes prove troublesome when very abun dant. Probably the best known of these is the squash bug (Anasa tristis) which appears from its hibernating quarters about the time the earliest plants appear. The eggs are laid upon the foliage and in about a week the scarlet Ian= emerge. They pierce the tissues with their stout beaks and suck the juices and as they grow they turn gray, becoming dark brownish gray when mature. The adults are about an inch long and there is a seemingly constant succession of overlapping broods from midsummer onward, insects in all stages of de velopment being found. There are, however, in the North usually only two broods. The plan found most satisfactory in controlling these insects is destruction of the vines and imma ture fruits as soon as the crop can be gathered in the autumn. The squash vine borer, the squash lady-bird beetle, the cucumber beetle and several other insects also feed upon the squash. See CUCUMBER; MELON, etc.