FORTY-FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. 151 



considered. Disease resistant strains have been developed through care- 

 ful seed selection. 



THE TRANSPLANTING METHOD. 



Many growers practice starting the ])lants in a hot bed or greenhouse 

 and transplanting them to the field. This practice enables the grower to 

 secure a crop from a week to ten days earlier than when the seeds are 

 planted in the field. The striped beetles are not as hard to control on 

 the transplanted plants and by this method melon crops can be grown 

 farther north than is possible where the seeds are planted in the field. 



The most connnon practice where plants are started under glass is 

 to plant from two to four seeds" in soil placed in old strawberry baskets, 

 paper or clay pots or dirt bands. Some growers use inverted sods in 

 which to plant the seeds and the sods are cut into squares just before the 

 transplanting is done. When the strawberry baskets or paper pots are 

 used, the bottoms are frequently remf)ved before transplanting but 

 this is not always necessary. In taking the plants from the clay pots, 

 great care is needed not to disturb the roots very much or the plants 

 will be badly damaged. Dirt bands consist of wood veneer three inches 

 wide and 18 inches long, scored at intervals of four inches so they can 

 be bent without breaking. When folded these dirt bands resemble straw- 

 berry baskets without the bottoms. The soil is made firm in these 

 bands and the seeds sown as in the pots or baskets. AVhen the plants 

 are taken to the field, the dirt bands are lifted by means of a spade or 

 flat shovel and placed in a flat bottomed wagon bed. The 

 bands are not removed until the plants are in the hill where 

 they are to remain and the dirt has been drawn up closely about 

 the outside of the band. This permits of the transferring of the 

 plants from the hot bed to the field with very little disturbing of 

 the roots. Recently some growers have been sowing melon seeds 

 quite thickly in flats or benches and when they are up nicely transplant- 

 ing them to pots or dirt bands. If sufficient care is taken in the handling 

 of the seedlings so that the. roots are not injured or the stems of the 

 plants pinched too hard, this method can be followed satisfactorily. 

 When handled in this way, the seeds and seedlings before transplanting 

 need not occupy but very little room. Frequently this will enable the 

 grower to keep a higher temperature during the germinating period 

 as the flats in which the seeds are sown can easily be enclosed in a small 

 space which can be artificially heated by use of a lantern, oil stove or 

 some other heat producer. 



It is usually the practice to sow the seeds about four weeks before the 

 plants are to go into the field. If a longer time is to intervene, it is 

 advisable to shift them once or twice. Potbound plants will never prove 

 satisfactory. Whatever the method of starting the plants, the one thing 

 most important to keep in mind when transferring the plants to the field 

 is that it is very important not to disturb the roots more than absolutely 

 necessary. Melon plants are sometimes killed by careless handling when 

 transplanting. 



The plants should not be set out until all danger of frost is over; cold 

 winds also should be avoided if possible. Too great haste in getting 

 the plants out is sure to result in disappointment. The soil should not 



