CANTALOUPE CULTURE AND PEDIGREED CANTALOUPE SEED. 



CULTIVATION 



A thorough preparation of the soil before it is planted to canta- 

 loupes will very much lessen the necessity for so much cultivation after- 

 wards, but a good deal depends on frequent and thorough tillage during 

 the early stages of the growth of cantaloupes, at first it should be deep 

 and thorough, but not close enough to disturb the plants; the cultiva- 

 tions should be more shallow and further from the hills as the plants 

 develop. The grower who cutlivates deep and close to the hill because 

 the vines do not prevent this, is cutting off roots, setting back his crop 

 more than he is doing good. He should understand the growth of the 

 roots, for they form the counterpart of the vines on the surface, only 

 they ramify the soil more thoroughly and to a greater distance than the 

 length of the vines, so it is easily possible to damage the crop by care- 

 less cultivation. Plates Nos. 9 and 10 gives a conception of the root 

 system which must exist to produce the rapid increase of growth in so 

 short a time. The first was taken July 2, 1904, and represents the growth 

 of about eight weeks, the next was taken at the same spot just two weeks 

 later, examinations in the soil between the rows will reveal the tiny 

 rootlet very thick, four to five inches deep, hence surface tillage after 

 the vines start should be the rule. 



TOOLS USED IN CANTALOUPE CULTURE 



The fourteen-toothed cultivator, with a steel weeding knife bolted 

 across between the two back teeth, so as to run just below the surface, 

 an inch or two, has become the most popular tool for cultivating on land 

 clean of alfalfa roots or trash. This gives ideal tillage, and practically 

 kills all the weeds except in the hills. 



On alfalfa sod where the crowns would gather on the knife it is 

 not so pleasant to use yet it will do very satisfactory work, but here 

 the five-toothed cultivator is usually used; this tool is also used to furrow 

 out rows by closing it up and placing a large shovel on the rear shank. 

 When the cantaloupes are "laid by" (cultivated and furrowed out the 

 last time) the irrigating furrows are made somewhat larger than before 

 and they should be "logger out" so that water can make its way through 

 the rows after the vines have covered the ditches, it is also a good plan 

 to lay the vines around out of the furrows once, to train them as much 

 as possible away from the furrows; this will keep many of the cantaloupes 

 out of the ditch, though the vines will eventually nearly cover the ground. 



INSECT ENEMIES 



We will discuss this subject from the grower's standpoint only 

 simply mentioning the methods that have proven to be the most successful 

 under Colorado conditions. Doubtless in other states there are other pests 

 and other conditions to influence the results. 



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