VARIETIES OF WATERMELON. 287 



be used as soon as possible to prevent crusting of the soil, 

 and cultivation should be kept up until it interferes too 

 much with the growth of the vines. During the first two 

 months of their growth the cultivator is almost constantly 

 running in the melon fields. 



Time of planting is, of course, dependent upon the frost 

 record of the locality. To get the earliest melons, grow- 

 ers often take the chance of replanting by planting in 

 March if it is an early spring and the soil is in good con- 

 dition. In light interior soils the most of the planting is 

 done in April, and in frosty situations early in May. For 

 succession, planting can proceed on moist or irrigated land 

 until July, and in frostless locations July planting will 

 give ripe melons as late as New Year's. 



Harvesting. When early sowings succeed, melons can 

 be had in June in the interior, but the weight of the crop 

 comes in July or August. An average yield in field cul- 

 ture is one carload, or one hundred dozen melons to the 

 acre. Sizes run from a common merchantable size of 20 

 pounds up to a monster of 131% pounds, grown in Los 

 Angeles county many years ago. Melons of 90 to 100 

 pounds have been reported from all regions which make 

 any pretentions to greatness in this line. 



Varieties. Everything offered by seedsmen in the form 

 of an improved watermelon is quickly put into California 

 soil. The result is that in the State as a whole very many 

 varieties are grown, probably as many as of any single 

 garden plant. Still a few varieties are easily leading in 

 popularity. The most famous variety in the central part 

 for the last quarter of a century has been the "Lodi," a 

 variety believed to be of local origin, taking its name from 

 the locality where largely grown, in San Joaquin county, 

 but the Lodi is now yielding even in its own region to 

 other varieties, and its decadence is probably in part due 

 to lack of proper selection in seed sowing on the part of 

 the growers, and the superiority of newer sorts. 



Florida Favorite: large, oblong, deep green, mottled; 

 good flavor and a good early variety and a good shipper. 



