492 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



GROWING WATERMELONS. 



Chicago Drovers'' Jour7ial. 



While a watermelon is essentially a Southern product, it is still popular 

 in the North, and is only handicapped by the troubles that many farmers 

 encounter in growing it. That the watermelon can be successfully grown 

 in our northern climate has been amply demonstrated by hundreds of suc- 

 cessful experiments in every community. However, there are plenty of 

 farmers who, though they like watermelons and would grow them if they 

 were able, have simply failed. In their own words, they are not " lucky " 

 with the watermelon. In fact, the difi&culty is that they have overlooked 

 some essential, vital to success with the crop. 



Like all plants taken from a warmer clime, the watermelon vine is very 

 sensitive to cold. Planted too early the cold soil will hamper the germina- 

 tion of the seed so that possibly it will entirely decay. Again, if the seed 

 should start during a few days of warm weather and then the weather turns 

 cold it is apt to be hurt with the chill of early season if it is not nipped by 

 the frost. Observers have noted that in the fall the watermelon vine is one 

 of the first things that show the effects of cool weather. There are few 

 things that will show the autumn frost sooner, even though the vine is 

 matured and has yielded its season's product. Planting is generally 

 advised for some time during the latter part of the month of May, though 

 it is best if the ground has been gotten ready some time before and until 

 seeding kept in a good, vigorous tilth. 



A sandy loam soil is the best for the watermelon. We have never known 

 of a case where a farm with heavy clay land has been successful even in a 

 small way with watermelon growing. A light soil is best. If, in addition 

 to this, it is rich in nitrogen, containing liberal amounts of humus in a well 

 decayed state, it is still better fitted for growing the crop 



Manuring in the fall and early spring plowing are desirable. One gives 

 a fertility to the soil that is essential for good melons, while the latter paves 

 the way for three or four weeks of cultivation before the time for planting the 

 seed. Worked land, even though it is not touched but once a week, means 

 that thousands of weed seeds will sprout and ths shoots be ultimately killed 

 before time for planting the watermelon seeds. This fact is important in that 

 it is far easier to kill weeds before seeding than it is after the hills are made 

 and the seeds are in the ground. In Farmers' Bulletin No. 193, under 

 "Watermelons in the North," attention is called to some work that has been 

 done in one of the eastern stations with watermelon growing. This experi- 

 menter has secured a notable success with the watermelon. Some hints that 

 will be useful are summed up in the following. 



' 'The hills are planted ten feet apart each way. They are dug eight to 

 ten inches deep, eighteen to twenty-four inches in diameter, and filled two- 

 thirds full with rich, well-rotted manure. A good stable manure that has 

 been piled up over winter and thoroughly chopped over is preferred. To 

 this is added a small quantity of hen manure and sand. 



' 'Enough soil is drawn on this and thoroughly mixed with the compost 

 to fill the hill nearly full. A half pint of unleached wood ashes or fine hen 

 manure or a small handful of phosphates is sprinkled over the top soil and 



