GROWING SEEDLINGS TO IMPROVE THE APPLE AND PLUM. 213 



Mr. Brand : I think no one will make a mistake by planting 

 seeds from the Tallman Sweet. I have thirteen seedlings just com- 

 ing into bearing, and they are all winter apples. 



Mr. J. S. Parks : Referring to the last remark, I have one 

 tree raised from the seed of the Tallman Sweet. I got seed from a 

 neighbor who had the Tallman Sweet and the little yellow Siberian 

 growing side by side. There were only two seeds in it, and I 

 planted them and kept track of them. One lived a little and died 

 a little for a number of years, and eventually died altogether ; the 

 other has grown rapidly and has been a bearing tree for a number 

 of years, but the apple is of the size of the little yellow Siberian, 

 is a sweet apple, and is almost worthless because it is so small and 

 hard, but it is a long-keeper. The tree is not a very good tree ; it 

 blights badly, like the Tallman Sweet and the Siberian. 



MELONS AS A FIELD CROP. 



L. P. LORD, OWATONNA, MINN. 



The subject assigned to me is one which more concerns growers 

 nearer a large city, as it happens, but I have made somewhat of a 

 specialty of muskmelon growing for a number of years. I do not 

 consider watermelons a profitable crop in Minnesota as a general 

 thing, because they can be shipped in at so little expense from the 

 south, where the cost of production is so much less. I will there- 

 fore only touch upon muskmelons as a field crop. Of course, the 

 profitableness of melon growing depends largely upon nearness to a 

 good market, picking the fruit at the proper time and marketing 

 it so it will reach the consumer in the best possible condition. 



In the first place, the field which is to be used for melons should 

 be ploughed deep and thoroughly harrowed. I think deep plough- 

 ing, with fine harrowing, is better than to merely turn the surface, 

 as the whole ground should be as fine as possible to conserve the 

 moisture in case a dry season follows. In the field culture of melons 

 it is seldom practicable to irrigate or water in dry seasons (melons 

 do not need watering in an average season), and therefore this 

 natural method of holding the necessary water in reserve, to be 

 used as needed, is far the best, aside from the fact that rain is better 

 for any crop than well water. 



In marking the field, a four foot, and even three foot, marker 

 may be used for the rows, and the melons planted in the rows at 

 intervals of two and a half feet. The hills should be no nearer 

 either way, and for extensive field culture planting farther apart 

 would permit of cultivating with a horse longer in the season. If 

 one's field is not too large, or with plenty of help, it pays to lay the 



