PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS* CLUB. 323 



consequence of too much water in the soil. All varieties suffered 

 about alike in this respect. They prune on Fuller's system, with 

 arms and upright canes. Low training succeeds the best in 

 Illinois. We have no mildew there. We have found that it is 

 absolutely essential to lay down the vines in the winter. Grape 

 vine wood ripens Avell there. Large quantities of wine are made. 

 The Clinton grape makes fine Avine. Vineyards are mostly 

 on the blufi's of the Mississippi. The Isabella does not ripen 

 there. 



Water Melons. 



Mr. H. B. Whitney, Gardner, Mass. — I wish the club would 

 tell me how to raise water melons, what is the best manure, how 

 far apart, and how many plants to he left in the hill. Can Squau- 

 kam marl be used as soon as it comes from the pit? 



Mr. N. C. Meeiier. — Many other ftirmers waut or ought to know 

 more about water melons. They always plant, sometimes they 

 plant all spring and summer; boys always are planting, and they 

 get only little bits of things, many of which they plug before 

 they get ripe, because they cannot tell ripe from green ones. 



Mr. W. S. Carpenter. — For ten years I have been successful; 

 before that I used to fail. I dig a hole two and a half feet deep, 

 three feet across, fill to within six inches of the surface with 

 green stable manure, then add good soil so as to make a hill six 

 inches high, and I plant from ten to twelve feet apart. 



Dr. Suodgrass, — They like a sandy soil. I ouce raised fine ones 

 by planting where wheat had been thrashed; some straw was left, 

 they ran among the straw. 



Mr. P. T. Quinn. — I would use thoroughly decomposed manure. 

 They grow best on land freshly cleared. There should be three 

 plants to a hill. 



Mr. Nichols. — I raised good melons amono- corn. 



Mr. Wm. S. Carpenter. — This might do on sandy laud, though 

 few will succeed. The gentleman who inquires lives in Massa- 

 chusetts, where the soil is hard and cold. The fresh manure will 

 be like a hot-bed, and will keep the vines warm and moist. I 

 would speak here of the Japan musk-melon as the only kind 

 worth growing. The seeds will be found in most seed stores. 



Mr. R. J. Pardee said that the terminal buds of the vines must 

 be pinched off, for the purpose of promoting fructification. 



