MELONS FOR MARKET. 325 



is too heavy, melons can be grown successfully, for a small patch, by 

 mixing sand in the soil in the hill, or by covering- the surface of the 

 hill before planting with about three inches of sand. Freshly 

 broken woodland is very good for raising melons, as such soil is 

 usually very light and full of leaf rnold. I have also had great 

 success in growing melons on land used for hog pasture, as the 

 hogs had worked the ground well over, which made the soil loose 

 and friable, and it was well enriched by their droppings. 



Manuking. — When stable manure is used broadcast before it is 

 well rotted it should be plowed under in the fall or early spring for 

 best results, so that it may become well composted with the soil. I 

 manure mostly in the hill, for a limited amount of manure will go 

 farther that way and also give good results. Well rotted manure- 

 should be used for enriching the hills, as this tends to give the 

 vines a strong, quick growth from the start, and it aids them in re- 

 sisting the attacks of insects and ripening the crop early in the 

 season. For very light, sandy soil I would advise using some rich 

 manure, as of cattle, hog or poultry, for making the compost for the 

 hills. As stated before, a good clover sod, plowed under, makes one 

 of the best manures for the melon crop. 



Preparing for Planting.— The ground should be thoroughly 

 prepared. Where plowed in the fall, it should be plowed again in 

 the spring and worked fine with the harrow and roller. If not fall 

 plowed it should be worked with a disc or common harrow until the 

 surface is well pulverized for three or four inches. This is most 

 important where coarse manure has been spread broadcast in the 

 spring, for it will then be well mixed with the soil. Then plow deep 

 and finish again with the harrow and roller. Mark both ways, seven 

 feet apart between the rows lor watermelons and three and a half by 

 seven for muskmelone. If hill manuring is necessary, dig a hole 

 eight inches deep and eighteen inches across for each hill and put 

 in one or two shovelfuls of manure. Then some earth should be 

 mixed w^ith the manure, and the hill leveled with some fine soil so 

 that it will be about two inches above the surface. On a large piece 

 of ground of several acres the hills can be made more easily by 

 plowing a deep furrow one way along the mark made by the marker. 

 This will remove enough soil at the intersections for making the 

 hills, if not, double furrows can be made, and, a wagon load of 

 manure following, the amount needed for each hill is placed at each 

 intersection of the furrow and the crossmark. 



Planting. — For success, seed must be pure. If several varieties 

 are planted, each kind should have an alloted strip of ground with 

 a driveway separating it from the rest. In this way melons will be 

 pure and not mixed as when several kinds are planted without 

 separation. If the soil is very loose and dry, it should be packed 

 with the foot. This is very important in a dry season, but if wet or 

 heavy this is not necessary. Round off the hill so that it will be 

 about a foot in diameter, then shove the spade down into the center 

 of the hill, slanting, so that it will be about two inches beneath the 

 surface and cover an area of eight inches by the width of a spade. 

 Now lift out the spade with the soil upon it, scatter from a dozen to 



