252 TBUCK-FARMING AT THE SOUTH. 



SOIL. 



Although the Muskmelon will succeed on lower land 

 than the Watermelon, the fruit will carry better and be 

 of better quality when grown on dry, sandy soil. The 

 cultivation is identical with that of the Watermelon. 

 The usual distance of planting the hills is from five to 

 six feet each way. Prof. J. S. Newman, of the Alabama 

 Department of Agriculture, plants on ridges four feet 

 from each other, the plants being eight inches apart. He 

 picked 13,000 melons from an acre in forty-six days. 



PACKING. 



The smaller varieties may be shipped in half-barrel 

 crates, the larger in barrels or barrel crates. Owing to 

 the length of the fruit sometimes upward of two feet 

 the "Banana Citron" requires barrels. To prevent bruis- 

 ing and rotting at the ends, they must be protected with 

 moss or some similar material. 



The Muskmelon is subject to the attacks of the same 

 insects as the Watermelon. 



