HORTICULTURE. 1077 



Relative to varieties, the Red Victoria has given the best yields of any varieties 

 tested on unfertilized soils. It is a medium keeper. The Prize Taker and Gigantic 

 Gibraltar also yield well and in addition are good keepers. The Gigantic Gibraltar 

 is considered preferable to the other two mentioned. The Australian Brown proved 

 especially satisfactory as a late-keeping variety. It ripens early and is a sure crop- 

 per, though it does nut yield as heavily as the other varieties mentioned. Neither 

 insect pests nor fungus diseases have as yel been observed to seriously affect onions 

 at the station. 



The author found that if onions receive a check in growth when near maturity 

 and then start into a second growth, as the result of irrigation or cultivation, there 

 is a tendency for the bulbs to divide into 2 or more parts, which injures them for 

 commercial or keeping purposes. The station experiments indicate that if onions 

 stop growing shortly before ripening it is not advisable to irrigate them after that. 

 The bulbs should he harvested, even though they are somewhat immature. 



A table is given showing the keeping qualities of 28 varieties grown in L902 and 1903. 

 The best keeping varieties Lost less in weight than the poor keeping kinds. The loss 

 in weight is not from decay, hut comes from evaporation, scaling off, and sprouting. 

 Small specimens tended to keep longer than larger ones of the same variety. The 

 best keeping varieties during the 2 seasons were Australian Brown, American Prize- 

 Taker, Australian Yellow Globe, Extra Early,Red, Gigantic Gibraltar, Large White 

 Globe, Philadelphia Silver Skin, and Round Yellow Danvers. Brief descriptions 

 are given of L".» varieties. 



In the Rio Grande Valley the variety which has long been grown to perfection is 

 the El Paso onion, which is of the Spanish type. Even this variety, however, is 

 now but little grown, and most of the onions consumed in the Territory are imported 

 from California or elsewhere. 



A Spanish edition of this bulletin has also been issued. 



Early cantaloupes, P. K. Blinn ( Colorado Sta. Bvl. 95, pp. 8, ph. ..'). — A discus- 

 sion based on experience at the station of such factors in the production of early 

 cantaloupes a- seed, soil, cultivation, irrigation, etc. Only the best seed, of ideal 

 type and quality, having early tendencies, should lie planted. A fertile sandy loam 

 soil in an ashy, mellow condition gives the earliest melons. As far as experiments have 

 gone barnyard manure or alfalfa sod give better results than commercial fertilizers. 

 "Alfalfa soil affords ideal soil conditions for cantaloupes, both in early production and 

 in securing a big yield." 



( lenerallv. cantaloupes do not give early crops after beets, but if the land is not too 

 much exhausted very satisfactory late crops maybe secured. The use of commer- 

 cial fertilizers in or under the hills at planting time has been found extremely haz- 

 ardous, as the melon plants died when the roots came in contact with the caustic 

 elements of the fertilizer. It is considered essential that growth he continuous from 

 start to finish. 



A quick germination of the seed with rapid development of large cotyledons is a 

 promise of early crops. Any check to growth is likely to result in the production of 

 melons below standard size. The weather records at Pocky Ford indicate that for 9 

 seasons out of 15 killing frosts haveoccurred the latter part of April and first of May. 

 May 1 is considered plenty early to plant cantaloupe seed. 



A study of the root system of the cantaloupe shows that when the seed germinates 

 the main root penetrates almost directly down from the seed. Lateral roots arise 

 from this main root about the time the fifth leaf appears or 4 or - r > weeks after germi- 

 nation. These roots seem to form the main feeders which develop the plant, for the 

 development of a hill of melons " is practically insignificant until it feels the impulse 



of this larger and better root system. The questi f early cantaloupes almost 



hinges on the success of the farmer in supplying conditions that will favor early 

 development of the lateral root system." 



