THE WATERMELON. 235 



GATHERING THE FRUIT. 



An experienced picker can recognize from its general 

 light and bright, but not glistening appearance, when a 

 melon has reached a proper state to be cut from the vine 

 for shipment, before it is fully, or " red " ripe, and he 

 may do so without any other loss of time than is required 

 to detach it from the vine and to place it on end for the 

 carriers. Roads should be convenient, for it is impossi- 

 ble to induce the laborers to avoid treading on the vines, 

 even when they do not cover the ground. The less ex- 

 perienced pickers must look for other signs of ripening, 

 and the "belly," or lower surface, where it has been in 

 contact with the earth, presents the most reliable in the 

 appearance of the pores of the skin. When these become 

 perceptible to the touch, by a roughness of the skin, or 

 can be seen, or the rind has become too hard to be read- 

 ily indented by the finger nail, the melon may be picked 

 for shipment. 



The shriveling or dying of the " curl," or little ten- 

 dril nearest to the melon, or in the axil of the stem, is a 

 usual, but not a certain rign of ripeness. 



A ripe melon sounds hollow upon percussion with the 

 knuckle ; but thumping is only practicable in the early 

 morning, for a large unripe melon has the same reso- 

 nance during the hot midday sun. If the "belly" is 

 yellow and blistered the melon is surely full ripe. Pres- 

 sure upon the fruit to hear the sound of the rupture ot 

 the flesh within, if ripe, is objectionable. It injures the 

 ripe as well as the green, and should never be resorted to. 



INSECTS. 



It is possible, nay, even probable, that the late, gen- 

 erally observed perishing of melon vines may be entirely 

 attributable to insects, and in part, to an unknown one. 

 Wire-worms, or larvae of Diabroticce, may be the cause 

 of the death of some. 



