For May, 1920 



191 



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I A Lesson on Growing Good Muskmelons | 



1 Being One of a Series of Lessons of a Home Study Course on Gardening. Appearing Regularly in The Gardeners' Chronicle 1 



I Under the Direction of ARTHUR SMITH | 



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As used in this country, the word melon is appHed to two 

 <iistiiict species of Cucurbittici'ce, the muskmelon and the water- 

 melon, both having originally come from tropical Africa and 

 southern Asia, the former being a variety or subspecies of 

 Cucumis melo and the latter of Citrullus vulgaris. There are 

 three types of the cultivated watermelon : the round preserving 

 "citron," the live-stock melon, and the ordinary watermelon ; 

 the forms found on the southwestern prairies and in the south- 

 ern cotton fields have returned to their original wild condition. 



There are very many cultivated forms of Cucuinis mclo, which 

 may be divided into three groups : the musk-scented forms, in- 

 cluding the nutmeg or netted melons and the cantaloupe or 

 hard-rinded melons, although some people apply the word canta- 

 loupe to all muskmelons ; the relatively non-odorous winter mel- 

 ons, known as Cassaba, which of recent years have been grown 

 extensively in California and which are shipped by the carload 

 to the eastern markets during November and Deceinber. One 

 distinct feature of the Cassabas is that they will keep several 

 weeks after ripening if they are properly handled. This type is 

 native of the Mediterranean district. The third group comprises 

 species used for preserves and condiments and also some which 

 are grown for ornament and are never eaten in the ordinary 

 manner, of which the Chito and Dudaim types are examples. 



The requirements for growing all the different species and 

 varieties of melons are practically alike, but our remarks will 

 refer especially to the muskmelon proper. 



Quality is the thing most sought for in growing muskmelons. 

 and often the most lacking. Having frequently heard both pro- 

 fessional and amateur gardeners voice their difficulties and want 

 of success in producing muskmelons worth eating, it appeared 

 that this would be the inost titling season to deal with the sub- 

 ject. As with practically everything else, a melon from one's 

 own garden should be better flavored than any which can be 

 brought in the market, because for market purposes where the 

 product has to travel any distance the melon must be gathered 

 before it is quite ripe and before it has reached the limit of its 

 potentialities as regards flavor. The muskinelon. while obtain- 

 able in the markets, from the Californian ones in May to those 

 from Michigan in October, is productive for only aljout ten 

 weeks in northern gardens ; but for this or even a shorter period 

 it is worth while to grow them if possible in the smallest garden. 



It is sometimes said that melons take up too much room in a 

 small garden, especially for the short period they are in fruit : 

 a statement with which we must take issue. 



While the preparation of the ground to be occupied l)y thein 

 should be finished a week or two earlier at least, it is rare, in 

 the latitude of New York, that conditions for sowing are suit- 

 able before the last week in May. By the time August arrives 

 a muskmelon patch will be from eight to ten feet wide, but it 

 is not necessary for this space to be entirely set on one side 

 for them during the whole season. A space two feet wide is 

 all which is necessary to leave if the melons are grown in a 

 continuous row. or if in hills then the hills will occupy only 

 two square feet with a five-foot interval. These intervals, to- 

 getlier with the rest of the ground on the sides which the melons 

 will ultimately require, can be made to produce a crop, so that 

 the melons would only occupy their entire ground for a couple 

 of months, as it would be a few weeks before they would spread 

 very much. Things like early peas, lettuce, spinach, and even 

 the first string beans, would all mature before the melons re- 

 quired the whole of the ground. 



One sometimes hears or reads statements albout muskmelons 

 <lemanding a particular type of soil, but this is not so, as they 

 •can be grown upon any kind of soil suitable for any other 

 garden crop, provided it is well drained, adequately fertilized 

 and thoroughly cultivated. 



.After successfully growing melons for a numlier of years. I 

 have found that good quality of fruit depends upon obtaining a 

 perfect vine. A perfect vine will bo one that is started right, 

 fed right and taken care of from start to finish, so that there 

 will be no check in its growth. 



The first thing is preparing the ground, and this can be done 

 as long a time before the time for sowing the seeds as con- 

 venient ; the longer the better, as after the preparation is fin- 

 ished there will be an opportunity for weed seeds to germinate, 

 and the necessary subsequent continual hoeing wn'll render the 

 soil practically free from wood possibilities when sowing time 



arrives. While some plant in rows, 1 have found the hill system 

 better. For private gardens I do not know of a better variety 

 of melon than the Emerald Gem, for which the hills may be as 

 close as six feet apart. However rich the soil may be, it is 

 difficult to supply loo much of the proper food to each hill. 



The first requirement of melons is plenty of humus, which is 

 best supplied by well rotted stable manure. At the place where 

 each hill is to be take out the soil two feet square and nine 

 inches or a foot deep, according to the quality of the underneath 

 soil, and thoroughly break up the subsoil at the bottom of the 

 hole. Fill the hole with rotted manure, chop it down with a 

 spade and return the soil taken from the hole on top of the 

 manure. This will form a cone. With the top soil mix one 

 pound of sheep manure and one pound of the finest ground 

 liones ; if at all lumpy chop it up with a spade and leave the 

 surface, about fifteen inches square, flat. This work should only 

 l)e carried out when the soil is comparatively dry and not sticky. 

 Cultivation should be continuously kept up. and as the vines 

 grow, more soil should be drawn around the hills so as to in- 

 crease their size and capacity for holding moisture. For culti- 

 vating close to the plants the short hand cultivators are useful, 

 as one can carefully lift the vines with one hand and use the tool 

 with the other. 



Should the rotted stable inanure be unobtainable, then instead 

 of making the hole, the hill can be formed of the surface soil 

 and a peck of sheep manure and two pounds of fine bone meal 

 mixed with each hill. While these feedings will under ordinary 

 circumstances be sufficient, should June be cold and wet after 

 the plants have started, an application of nitrate of soda spread 

 over each hill after the plants have been thinned, not allowing 

 it to touch them, will help them along. For this purpose two 

 tablespoonfuls to each hill will be sufficient at one time, a dose 

 which may be repeated in two weeks if necessary. 



The next point is the planting of the seed. It must be ein- 

 phasized that_we are speaking of the more northern part of the 

 country, where success with all the more or less tropical plants 

 is eternal vigilance. It is useless to sow the seeds before the 

 ground gets warm and the weather conditions generally suit- 

 able, which conditions do not usually arrive before the last week 

 in May. Hardy plants, such as cabbage and onions, during cold 

 wet weather make root growth and get stronger, and when warm 

 weather does come are that much ahead, but if the melon seeds 

 .germinate at all the young plants rarely recover properly from 

 any severe check, although they may not be actually killed. It 

 is well to sow plenty of seed so as to be sure of a full stand of 

 three or four plants to a hill after thinning : about ten or twelve 

 seeds to a hill, spread over a square foot of the top, is generally 

 sufficient, covering with half an inch of soil. 



After sowing cover the top of the hill with tobacco dust. 

 This prevents the ravages of cut-worms and the striped beetles, 

 and it also acts as a fertilizer. In addition, aphis are sometimes 

 troublesome. These are checked by dusting the entire plants 

 with land plaster (sulphate of lime) and paris green, also by 

 the use of some of the tobacco solutions advocated for aphis ; 

 in either case it is necessary to cover the under sides of the 

 leaves as well as the upper. Another possible trouble is a 

 fungus disease known as "wilt," which clo.gs the sap tubes and 

 which may cause the death of the entire plant. This disease is 

 inore likely to appear and spreads more rapidly when striped 

 beetles are allowed to be present, as the disease can enter more 

 readily through the wounds made by the beetles. Another fungus 

 disease likely to appear causes a blighting and yellowing of the 

 leaves. 



The control of these diseases must be primarily along the 

 lines of prevention, and in this connection it is well to spray the 

 hills after the seed is sown with a reliable fungicide and to con- 

 tiime the spraying every ten days after the plants appear. In 

 wet seasons it may be necessary to spray more frequently, while 

 the interval may be extended during very dry periods. The 

 effect of these diseases is liable to become api)arcnt in a sud- 

 den manner, although they may have been working for some 

 time. At this stage elTorts at combating are generally useless. 

 The only way to control any fungus disease is to look upon 

 fungicides as insurance and use them before the disease appears, 

 so as to keep the disease away; therefore we must begin early 

 and do it well. Eflfeclive spraying is only done by thorough 

 work. 



