VARIETIES OF CANTALOUPS. 283 



When danger from frost is past, while the plants are still 

 small they are 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 of small melons will fol- 

 low. Under Arizona conditions the six-foot spacing of 

 hills recommended above, with not more than two plants 

 in the hill, gives best results. 



A dependable supply of irrigating water is essential to 

 successful cantaloup culture in regions of little rain. Early 

 in the season when the plants are small and the irrigating 

 supply is cold, water should be applied sparingly. But be- 

 tween the setting of the crop and the ripening of the first 

 fruits, when both vines and melons are developing rapidly 

 and when the weather is usually hot and dry, frequent 

 and copious irrigation is necessary, for if water is stinted 

 at this time a large percentage of small or pony melons is 

 likely to follow. During the picking season water should 

 again be sparingly applied just enough to prevent the 

 vines from wilting. This also gives quality and solidity to 

 the melons. 



As long as the vines will permit, the middles should 

 be kept free of weeds by means of a one-horse cultivator, 

 and the furrows run through with a small plow after each 

 irrigation. The^oung plants should also be hoed by hand 

 two or three times. When the ground is once well covered 

 with vines weeds will make but little headway, even Ber- 

 muda grass being effectually checked by the dense cover. 



Varieties. The wonderful advancement of the canta- 

 loup as a commercial product during the last decade has 

 quickened effort for new varieties and given new incen- 

 tive to sharp selection to secure characters likely to facili- 

 tate long shipment or to increase the demand. Relatively 

 small size, symmetrical form, thickness of flesh and reduc- 

 tion of the seed-cavity, durability, flavor and color of 

 flesh are among the improvements which have been dili- 

 gently sought. Each year brings forward something new 

 and worthy of trial to determine local behavior and suit- 

 ability. Obviously a book which aims to be useful for a 



