236 ANNUAL EEPOET 



aba, and the old fashioned long yellow muskmelon, and mixing 

 them together. I planted the seeds in a field by themselves, and 

 obtained a very good hybrid, but it was not satisfactory; the flesh 

 was rich in flavor and sweetness, but liable to be too soft. I once 

 tried to obtain the flavor of the pomegranate, with partial success. 

 I find it hard work to keep several varieties of melons and keep 

 each variety pure. As regards varieties, I consider the banana 

 melon a choice acquisition. Of the green varieties I would men- 

 tion the pineapple and the Caaaba. The latter is a large melon, 

 and consequently a little later in ripening. I always save my seeds 

 from the best melons. If, after cutting a choice looking melon, 

 the flavor is not satisfactory, I discard it as worthless. I don't allow 

 any squash, pumpkin or cucumber to grow near my melons. Musk- 

 melons require dry, warm weather to ripen in, in order to give the 

 best results. Wet weather is liable to make them crack open or 

 rot, and also decreases their richness. Cold weather causes them 

 to ripen in the inside and get soft before the outside shows any 

 signs of ripening. I say this especially of the yellow varieties. 



HOW TO PLANT. 



I select a southern slope if possible, dig holes about six feet 

 apart and a foot square ; put in each hole a shovelful of well- 

 rotted dressing, and then take a potato fork and stir the dressing 

 and dirt together ; then put a little dirt on tcp of that. The hill 

 is now nearly level with the ground around it, and I am ready for 

 the seeds which I have had soaking for three or four days. I put 

 about a dozen seeds in each hill, scattering them around so as not 

 to be too close together, and cover them about 1^ inches deep. As 

 soon as the melons are up, I begin to look for cut worms, which 

 are a source of much anxiety to all melon growers. 



WATERMELONS. 



I have not given as much study to the growing of watermelons 

 as I have to the growing of muskmelons. Watermelons seem to 

 require a different soil and climate to be grown to perfection. 

 They require more moisture in the soil, and I don't know but more 

 above it, although I have had some very good success in growing 

 watermelons. They are sometimes liable to run off on two legs 

 although that difficulty has not prevailed to any great extent 

 among my melons. I have had the best success in growing when 

 I planted near a sag in the ground or near a pile of dressing that 

 helped to hold the moisture in the ground. I have been growing 

 a variety that I called the early long watermelon. They are of 

 medium size, rather long and dark, being slightly striped ; the 

 flesh red, seeds of a reddish brown cast, the rind very thin. Very 

 early but liable to become mealy if left on the vines too long. I 

 think I can recommend the Hungarian for quality and earliness 

 against any other variety for the state of Minnesota. They seem 

 to be very uniform in quality, and remain solid for some time. In 

 planting I prepare the hills the same as for muskmelons, and 

 soak the seeds about the same number of days. 





