VEGETABLE MARROW

Cucurbita Pepo ovifera





The Vegetable Marrow does not, in a general way, obtain the right kind

of attention in gardens. It is very generally grown and is much valued

as a summer vegetable. But too often the aim of the cultivator is to

obtain large Marrows, that at the very best are coarse and troublesome

to the cook and are always wanting in substance and flavour, instead of

smallish Marrows, which are easily dressed, elegant on the table, and

combine with a substantial and somewhat glutinous pulp a most delicious

flavour. Two fears beset the average gardener: he is afraid to grow

small sorts, and he is afraid to cut them when quite young. When he can

overcome these fears he will appreciate the smaller Marrows that have of

late years been secured by patient labour in cross-breeding, for while

they are of the highest quality, they are also early and productive, far

surpassing all the larger Marrows in quickness and usefulness. The

market grower we do not pretend to advise, for he must grow what he can

sell; and if the smaller Marrows are insufficiently appreciated in

gardens, we cannot hope to see them on sale in shops.



The Vegetable Marrow will grow in any good soil, and although a tender

plant, it is so accommodating that if the seed is sown on a piece of

newly dug clay land in the latter part of May, or early in June, the

plants will thrive and produce a heavy crop the same season. We put this

as an extreme case, but we do not recommend such a careless mode of

growing this valuable vegetable. The fact is, it pays better to grow it

well than to grow it ill; and in a country where land and labour are

costly, and the summer very uncertain, it is best to take such a thing

in hand scientifically, and provide for it as many favourable conditions

as possible. Three conditions are imperative: a moderate bottom heat

from fermenting material; a kindly, loamy soil, quite mellow, in which

the roots can run freely; and a sufficiency of water, for this is a

thirsty plant. But the excessive use of manure is undesirable, as this

only forces a rank growth of foliage at the expense of the fruit.



Frame culture is of some importance, because early Marrows are highly

valued at good tables. For this business the neat-growing, small-fruited

kinds should be chosen, as they yield a great crop in a small compass.

The best place for an early crop of Marrows is a brick pit, with

hot-water pipes for top heat, and a bed of fermenting materials for

bottom heat. It is no difficult matter to obtain a supply in a house

with Cucumbers, but it is better to grow the Marrows apart, as they

require less heat and less moisture than Cucumbers. In making up the

bed, it is well to employ leaves largely, say to the extent of one-half,

the remainder being stable manure that has been twice turned. Such a bed

will give a mild heat for a great length of time, and the plants can be

put out upon it within three days of its being made up. When grown in a

common frame, the arrangements are much the same as advised for the

frame cultivation of the Cucumber, the chief points of difference being

that Marrows should have less heat and more air. The temperature for

Marrows under cover may range from 55 deg. the minimum, to 80 deg. the maximum;

the safe medium being about 65 deg. when the weather is cold and dull;

running to 80 deg. when strong sunshine prevails, and the plants are growing

freely with plenty of air. As for the general management, a bed nine

inches deep of good fibrous loam is required, with regular supplies of

water of the same temperature as the pits, so that the bed is always

reasonably moist, and every evening a slight syringing over the leaves

and the walls before shutting up. The training out is a very simple

matter. Let the vines run in their own way until they have made shoots

eighteen inches long, then nip out the points. After this there must be

no more stopping, but occasionally the laterals must be suppressed to

prevent crowding. Give air freely at every opportunity, and be careful

not to administer too much water, or the blunder will result in a

deficiency of fruit.



To grow Marrows in the open air, the best course of procedure is to

remove a portion of the top soil, to form a shallow trench four feet

wide. Into this carry one foot to eighteen inches depth of half-rotten

manure, or a mixture of equal parts of manure and leaves, and cover with

the soil that was taken out. This will produce a very gentle hot-bed

that will last until the natural ground heat is sufficient to keep the

plants in vigorous health. The middle of May is quite early enough to

make up the bed, and in the course of two or three days the plants may

be put out. Cover with hand-lights or small frames, which on the

following day should be tilted at bottom to admit a little air, and if

strong sunshine occurs, a Rhubarb leaf may be laid over to subdue the

glare upon the young plants. We will suppose these plants to have been

raised in a Cucumber frame from seeds sown in April. If plants are not

available, sow seeds in patches of two or three on the bed, and cover

with inverted large flower-pots, and with a piece of tile to stop the

hole. This plan hastens germination. Pots may also be used as protectors

if glass frames are not at command, being taken off during the day and

put on at night, the hole being left open to give a little air. During

bad weather the pots should remain all day over the plants, but as soon

as possible must be again taken off to keep the growth short, green, and

vigorous. The plants should be put singly down the centre of the bed,

three feet apart, and as a matter of course the seeds should be sown at

the same distance, and each clump of two or three should be reduced to

one when the plants are somewhat forward. It is advisable not to be in a

hurry in thinning the plants, for the slugs will probably compel some

modification of arrangements, so that sometimes it will be necessary to

lift a clump, and divide the plants, to fill up gaps where the slugs

have made a clearance. An occasional inspection in the after part of the

day, and again in the early morning, will be the best course to keep

down the slugs, as they may then be caught and disposed of; but a

dusting of soot around each clump will do much to protect the plants

against silent marauders. As for after-management, there is no occasion

whatever for any stopping or training, but now and then a stout peg may

be placed to keep some strong vine in order. The necessity for moisture

must not be overlooked. If the ground becomes dry the plants will

suffer, but with sufficient moisture they will continue growing and

bearing until the frost destroys them. Cut the Marrows when quite young,

for not only are they more useful on the table when small and tender,

but the plants will bear five times as many as when a few are permitted

to attain their full size. The explanation of the case is very simple.

The production of the young fruits does not in any appreciable degree

exhaust the plants; but when the fruits are allowed to develop, the

plant is too severely taxed, and a succession is pretty well brought to

a stop. The most delicately flavoured Marrows, as a rule, are the

smallest; these when cooked should be served whole, or at most only cut

into halves, and of course there is no occasion to remove the seeds.