FIELD CULTURE OF CANTALOUPES 233 



complish this, and also to fertilize the soil, is as follows : The field 

 is first irrigated, plowed and harrowed to a condition of fine tilth. 

 With a 12-inch plow, at intervals of six feet, double furrows are 

 then broken out, going and returning along the same lines. In the 

 deep, wide furrows thus formed well-rotted barnyard manure is 

 distributed to a depth of three or four inches, then plowed in and 

 the field again harrowed level. By then plowing toward the middle 

 of the spaces between the fertilized furrows, the soil is finally left in 

 oval ridges separated by back furrows for irrigation. The rough 

 furrows and ridges are then finished with a harrow and the newly 

 prepared ground irrigated to establish the water line for guidance in 

 planting. 



In the absence of stable manure a thousand pounds of complete 

 commercial fertilizer may be used to the acre with advantage. 



Seed should be most carefully selected with reference to flavor 

 and appearance of the fruit; to good shipping characters, including 

 small cavities and heavy netting ; and to a tendency to produce 

 melons of standard size. About one pound of seed is required for 

 an acre. Cantaloupe seed improves to some extent with time, and 

 is stated by experienced growers to give more satisfaction at two 

 years of age than at one. 



With irrigating furrows six feet apart, rows may be planted 

 one on each side of each furrow. The hills should be ten feet apart 

 in the rows, "breaking spaces" between rows. On this plan the 

 ground will be quite uniformly occupied, with a distance of about 

 six feet between adjacent hills. Where winds are strong and 

 prevalently in one direction it is sometimes desirable to lay off the 

 lands at right angles to the course of the wind and plant all the 

 hills on the windward side of each strip so that the vines are trained 

 by the wind away from the ditch and not half of them blown into it. 



With a hoe each hill is planted by making a small furrow a foot 

 long just above the water line, made by the preceding irrigation 

 which places the hill where it will not be flooded by later irrigation. 

 About ten seeds are dropped into this furrow, covered an inch deep, 

 and the soil pressed down lightly with the blade of the hoe. After 

 early plantings, when frosts are feared, a second set of hills may be 

 planted alongside the first, ten days or two weeks later. When dan- 

 ger from frost is past, while the plants are still small they ane 

 thinned to one or two of the strongest to each hill. Care must be 

 taken not to overcrowd the ground with vines, as a high percentage 



