IRRIGATION OF CANTALOUPS 209 



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. 



Seed should be most carefully selected with reference to flavor 

 and appearance of the fruit; to good shipping characters, includ- 

 ing 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. Cantaloup 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 w r ill 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 irriga- 

 tion which places the hill where it will not be flooded by later irri- 

 gation. About ten seeds are dropped in 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 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 follow. Under Arizona con- 

 ditions 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 success- 

 ful 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 between 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, fre- 

 quent and copious irrigation is necessary, for if water is stinted at 

 this time a larger percentage of small or pony melons is likely to 

 follow. To prevent this, even 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 young 



