WATERMELON 



WATERMELON 



1969 



As southern melons are intended, primarily, for sale, 

 a hard, thick rind, with firmness and solidity of flesh, 

 is a paramount requisite, as it makes a safe shipper and 

 long keeper. 



Unfortunately, quality, which is based mainly upon a 

 high sugar content, is generally inseparable from a thin 

 rind and tender flesh — contradictory features to those 

 requisite for a good shipper. This accounts for the 

 relatively inferior quality of such melons as Rattle- 

 snake, Kolb Gem and Jones, which are grown, of 

 course, for distant markets. The metropolitan seldom 

 realizes the supreme lusciousness which it is possible 

 for some of the best local varieties in the South to 



2719. A Georeia Watermelon. 



attain unless he has been lucky enough to test them in 

 the field. Even a Lord Bacon, "the best of the shipping 

 melons, cannot stand table comparison with Ramsay, 

 Dixie, Jordan Gray Monarch, Kleckley Sweets, Mclver 

 Sugar, Phinney Early or Mountain Sweet. 



Shape is of minor consideration, if only ordinary 

 symmetry or freedom from distinct deformity is pre- 

 served, as preference appears to be divided between the 

 round or ovoid and elongated forms, while the marking 

 or color of rind is of still less moment; although of 

 late a solid green tint seems to find a readier market 

 than either the striped or "gray" marking, while an 

 irregular, blotched surface, as with Scalybark or Moun- 

 tain Sprout, though attached to good quality and size, 

 is distinctly objected to. 



With regard to color of flesh, the public is united in 

 demanding a deep red or crimson heart, with few seeds; 

 for white or golden-fleshed varieties have never found 

 favor. They are generally regarded as wanting in 

 character or insipid, although some melons of this type 

 unquestionably attain superior quality. 



Little difference is observable between varieties in 

 their capacity to resist disease and insect depredation. 

 Vigor of growth depends mainly upon individual cul- 

 tural methods and little upon variety; nor is there much 

 marked difference in time of maturity between the dif- 

 ferent strains. 



Of all the physical features enumerated, size and 

 shipping capacity are by far the most important — to- 

 gether aggregating 60 per cent of the requisites for an 

 ideal type. Size is almost as necessary as resistant 

 rind, and it is fatal to attempt to ship small melons. 

 Results would be far better if stricter culling should be 

 universally followed. 



To summarize: For shipping purposes the following 

 varieties may be confidently listed as superior, in the 

 order named: Lord Bacon, Kolb Gem, and Georgia 

 (preferably Augusta) Rattlesnake. 



For table or family: Jordan Gray Monarch, Sibley 

 Triumph and Seminole. 



For early melons: Memphis, Augusta Sugarloaf and 

 Augusta Rattlesnake. 



For late melons: Boss, Scalybark and Sweetheart. 



Culture. — While the Watermelon is extremely cosmo- 

 politan and will readily accommodate itself to a variety 

 of soils, and, particularly in its own best region — the 

 "Wiregrass"— will submit to an infinity of rough and 

 unscientific treatment without rebelling, yet a warm, 

 light, gray, sandy soil is its delight, especially when 

 supplemented by a strong clay subsoil that will daily 



yield its modicum of moisture, little by little, when 

 called on. Like the cat and the grape, the melon cannot 

 bear" wet feet." Still, the soil should not be too dry. 

 Sufficient capillarity must exist to keep the roots of the 

 plants well supplied with their proper amount of mois- 

 ture—though not enough to evaporate the entire reser- 

 voir of water in the subsoil into the atmosphere. A 

 soil too rich in humus is not desirable. Sufficient nitro- 

 gen for its use can be supplied artificially where it does 

 not exist naturally. A surplus may, and generally does, 

 produce larger melons, but at the expense of quality. 

 They will prove soft, watery and insipid — poor ship- 

 pers, and with a small percentage of sugar. Therefore, 

 an ideal location for a melon plat on a small scale will 

 be found on the site of an abandoned cowlot, or an old 

 garden spot. "Second bottoms "—the accumulated de- 

 tritus of hillsides — serve admirably, but creek bottoms 

 or heavy muck of any sort would be no more admissible 

 for the melon than for grapes or peaches. 



Rotation of crop area is all-important. Never should 

 two crops of melons occupy the same plat with an inter- 

 val of less than three years between them. In that 

 time, insect depredators, attracted by the first melon 

 crop, will probably have become exterminated, and the 

 drain from the soil of specific plant-food (especially 

 potash) will also have been, to a great extent at least, 

 made good. 



Preparation of the land should be thorough, but not 

 necessarily deep. The roots of the melon extend quite 

 a distance under ground laterally, but close to the sur- 

 face. The deeper the land is broken, the deeper the 

 roots will be induced to penetrate, disturbing their nor- 

 mal habit and producing surplus vine at the expense of 

 fruit. But because shallow plowing is permissible, for 

 that very reason the surface pulverization should be 

 thorough and effective. What is saved on the siibsoiler 

 should be expended on the harrow. After breaking, 

 two harrowings, one with a cutaway, the other with an 

 Acme harrow, should follow. This leaves the plat in 

 excellent condition, especially if a crop of cow-peas has 

 been grown on the land the previous year, as is always 

 advisable. 



The richer the soil or the higher the fertilization, the 

 more luxuriant will be the resulting growth of vines. 

 Hence, the distance apart at which the "hills" should 

 be located must correspond. On very rich land 12 feet 

 apart each way is none too much: indeed, many growers 

 prefer this distance even on poor land. It is entirely a 

 matter for individual control. Probably 10 x 10 feet is 

 the distance most frequently employed, and in no case 

 should it be less than 8x8, and this very rarely. What- 

 ever the distance, the land should be checked in squares, 

 locating the hills equidistant in both directions. 



Whatever the distance adopted, the plat, after its 

 final "freshening up" with the harrow, is "laid off" 

 with cross furrows made by a light "scooter" plow. 

 Then, in one direction, with a wide "shovel" plow, an 

 opening furrow is run in which the fertilizer is drilled 

 and thoroughly mixed with a scooter— two trips to the 

 row— on which four furrows are next "listed" with a 

 turn-plow, thus forming the bed for planting, which 

 will warm up sooner than the surrounding soil. The 

 "middles" are broken out later. 



Many growers still cling to the obsolete practice of 

 dragging up the dirt with a hoe into individual hills at 

 the intersection of the furrows, and therein concentrat- 

 ing the manure, as in garden squash culture, instead of 

 employing the more modern and economical "continu- 

 ous beds." Where compost is used on a small scale 

 this may be excusable; but it is not only preferable, 

 but on a large scale necessary, to drill commercial ferti- 

 lizers. 



A crop of cow-peas the previous year is the best 

 preparation that can be given an area intended for 

 melons. It leaves the soil well stored with nitrogen, 

 light, porous and easily worked. In midwinter or early 

 spring, according to latitude, the manure, if commercial 

 fertilizer is employed, should be put in; compost or 

 stable droppings sooner, to insure partial decomposi- 

 tion by planting time. Stable manure, however, is 

 always variable in its content of plant-food, and there- 

 fore for mare reliable results connnercial fertilizers are 

 preferable, particularly when operations are conducted 



