266 AGRICULTURE FOR BEGINNERS 



or potatoes have been blighted. Lime spread on the soil 

 seems to prevent the blight for one season. 



At the approach of frost in the fall, green tomatoes can 

 easily be preserved by wrapping them in paper. Gather 

 them carefully and wrap each separately. Pack them in 

 boxes and store in a cellar that is close enough to prevent 

 the freezing of the fruit. A few days before the tomatoes 

 are wanted for the table, unpack as many as are wanted, 

 and allow them to ripen in a warm room. 



Tomatoes require a rich soil. Scattering a small quan- 

 tity of nitrate of soda around their roots promotes rapid 

 growth. 



Watermelons. As watermelons need more room than 

 can usually be spared in a garden, they are commonly 

 grown as a field crop. 



A very light sandy soil suits watermelons best. They 

 can be grown on very poor soil if a good supply of com- 

 post be placed in each hill. The land for the melons 

 should be laid off in about ten-foot checks, that is, the 

 furrows should cross one another at right angles every 

 ten feet. A wide hole should be dug where the furrows 

 cross, and into this, composted manure should be put. 



The best manure for watermelons is a compost of stable 

 manure and wood mold from the forest. Pile the manure 

 and wood mold in alternate layers for some time before 

 the planting season. During the winter, cut through the 

 pile several times until the two are thoroughly mixed and 

 very finely pulverized. 



At planting tfme, put two or three shovelfuls of this 

 compost into each of the prepared holes, and over the 

 top of the manure scatter a handful of any high-grade 



