File:The field and garden vegetables of America (Page 216) (6002095743).jpg

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CUCURRITACEOUS PLANTS.
Custard Squash.
Plant healthy and of vigorous habit, often twenty feet and
upwards in length ; fruit oblong, gathered in deep folds or
wrinkles at the stem, near which it is the smallest, abruptly
shortened at the opposite extremity, prominently marked by
large, rounded, lengthwise elevations, and corresponding deep
furrows, or depressions ; skin, or shell, cream- white ; flesh
pale-yellow, not remarkable for solidity, or fineness of texture,
but well flavored ; the seeds are yellowish-white, and readily
distinguished from those of other varieties by their long and
narrow form. Under favorable conditions of soil and season,
the Custard Squash attains a large size ; often measuring
twenty inches and upwards in length, eight or ten inches in
diameter, and weighing from eighteen to twenty-five pounds.
It is one of the hardiest and most productive of all varie-
ties. Crops are recorded of fourteen tons from an acre. It
is esteemed by some for pies ; but, as a table squash, is inferior
to most other sorts. Its great yield makes it worthy the
attention of agriculturists, as it would doubtless prove a
profitable variety to be cultivated for stock.
From the habit of the plant, the form and character of the
fruit, and its great hardiness and productiveness, it appears to