MELONS 229 



late years there has been a great deal of interest in a variety known as the 

 Rocky Ford, from the locality in Colorado where it has been largely produced 

 and shipped East. The high quality of the Rocky Ford melons caused them 

 to bring fancy prices in the East, and many have tried the variety here. But 

 it has been found that the Rock Ford is the same variety that has been 

 long grown under the name of Netted Gem, and that it seems to be the soil 

 and climate at Rocky Ford that has given them their fine quality. Why the 

 difference should exist between the Netted Gem in one section or another re- 

 mains to be determined, and several of the Experiment Stations are entering 

 into the investigation of the effect of soil and climate on this variety. In 

 Europe there are a number of varieties of winter muskmelons grown. These 

 mature late in the season, can be put away to ripen indoors and will keep 

 till Christmas. For some reason these melons have never become popular 

 in this country, but experiments are now being made with them, and it may 

 be that there will be found some that suit our climate. 



For a home mixture for muskmelons we would suggest the following: 

 Acid phosphate, 900 pounds; dried blood, 600 pounds; nitrate of soda, 100 

 pounds, and sulphate of potash, 400 pounds, to make a ton. Where the con- 

 centrated fertilizer is used exclusively we would use 500 pounds per acre. 

 As a dressing on hills of compost half this quantity will be sufficient. At the 

 last working of the crop it is a good practice to sow cow peas among the rows, 

 as they quickly grow up and make some shade from the sun, and after the 



crop is off there will be a field of peas to turn into forage. 







WATERMELONS. 



The watermelon is very similar in its manurial requirements to the 

 muskmelon, but if grown in well manured or fertilized hills it can be profit- 

 ably grown on poor, sandy land that would not make a good crop of musk- 

 melons. The same making of a rich bed of compost in the hills is practiced 

 with the watermelon, but the hills are much further apart than those of the 

 muskmelon. Ten by twelve feet is a good average distance to plant, and the 

 sowing of peas between the rows is of more importance here than with the 

 muskmelon, as the watermelon likes to hide in the shade and is damaged by 

 the hot sun. The crop, like the muskmelon crop, can be grown with com- 

 mercial fertilizers alone. One of the best watermelon crops we ever grew 

 was on a sandy piece of bottom land where the soil was deep and moisture 

 always in reach. This land was plowed in twelve foot lands early in the 

 spring and the dead furrows well plowed out. A heavy dressing of the fer- 

 tilizer given above was then scattered along the dead furrows. Two furrows 



