1968 WATERMELON 



There is probably no country in which the Wa 



is grown tu siu-h a large extent as in tlie riiitt 



All th. l.lral an.t s,,i,l lirni -t:,i, - .:,,, -,-~. 



selected fur the WatL-rmeloii, bui (Ills i> puitifLilarly 

 true in the northern part of the country, since the plants 

 must secure a very early start and grow rapidly in 

 order to mature in the short seasons. It is probable 

 that a well-matured Watermelon raised in the North has 

 as good quality as one grown in the South. Some 

 persons believe that seeds from melons grown for 

 several generations in the North give earlier and better 

 results in the North than southern-grown seeds; but 

 the subject yet needs further experiment. However, 

 the Watermelon is generally not so adaptable to the 

 northern parts of the country as the rauskraelon is, and is 

 not so largHly grown. The U':itfrinr-I,m can hr- so cheaply 



for 



sections, it is 

 ing boxes or 

 and Transph 



., ,.■■■:■ . CI:. -. i may be 

 ■ ■ .,i<l; -1-, m iIp' u'jrthern 

 !i 111 indoors in transplant- 

 , I |il lined under Muskinelon 



I' ' tl. also, in the northern 



t) . i> il some quickly available 

 fertilizer in the hill, in ord.-r to start the plants ofif 

 early. If the lands are loose and leachy and likely to 

 dry out, or, on the other hand, if tliey are hard and 

 tend to become lumpy, it is well to make "hills" by 

 mixing one or two large shovelfuls of iri.-tnniT' with the 

 earth; but it is important that this Tnnnuie l>e short 

 and well rotted and then very thor >u-!il\ mixed with 

 the soil. If the manure is coarsi. nnd 11,1 well in- 

 corporated with the soil, the hill is likely to dry out and 

 the fertilizing elements are usually so tardily available 

 that the plant does not get a quick start. The smaller- 

 growing varieties may be planted as close as (3x S feet. 

 but it is customary not to plant them closer than 8 feet 

 either way. In the South, where general field practice 

 is employed, the melons are usually planted about 

 10 feet apart. The flea beetle and the striped cucumber 

 beetle are likely to be serious on the young plants. 

 Hand-picking and thorough spraying with Bordeaux 

 mixture and Paris green are the most available 

 remedies. In the northeastern states, the Georgia 

 Watermelon is chielly known, although nearly all parts 

 of the South grow the melon with satisfaction. Lately 

 very large melon industries have developed in Colo- 

 rado. A very large part of the United States is really 

 well adapted to the commercial growing of the Water- 

 melon. 



The common Watermelons are used as dessert fruits. 

 However, there is a race of hard-fleshed very firm 

 melons that are used for the making of preserves (Fig. 

 2720). Since these are used for the same purposes as 

 the true citron of commerce, they are commonly known 

 as citrons. They come true from seed. l^ jj 3_ 



Watermelon Culture in Georgia. — The Watermelon is 

 the only important fruit or veurtiil.l. ilmt I,,:- no valu- 

 able by-produi'ts. Its sr li;n-iiM li.ii'.. . iniiot be 



profitably convorted iiiio .,u:::if, !■ ' s.-rvoir 



wine, as putrefactive iiisteail ul ;n uiic ur alcoholic 

 fermentation results. For this reason, also, it does not, 

 like the cantaloupe, produce a good brandy when dis- 

 tilled. Its substance cannot be successfully used in 

 animal nutrition— serving, at best, as a mere diuretic or 

 digestive. 



JTabitat and Distribution.— ThTonghont the entire 

 tertiary region of the Atlantic and Gulf states, from the 

 seacoast to a curved line marked by the Piedmont 



Ksc-a 

 Riclii 



WATERMELON 



To a certain limit perfection in the melon is found 

 to directly parallel latitude — regulated and modified, 

 of course, by the corrections imposed by isotherms, 

 geological formation and local conditions and environ- 

 ment. Every mile traveled southward from New Eng- 

 land tow.-trd this limit, which corresponds, practically. 



the opposite direction, or northward from the climactic 

 or focal "line of perfection;" so it happens that the 

 melon of extreme Siouth Florida or of the Rio Grande 

 country i- iiiili ii :<u\ -uperiorto its colder and more 

 impassixr ' Jersey or Long Island. In this 



the melon 1. r 1 .: :i lixed morphological rule, prom- 



inently enipli.i-i/.. .1 i.\ many familiar products of the 

 garden and oirliatil. 



The "line of iMiLriiou' referred to — which, indeed. 

 is ultimately redu.iMe lo -., 1m,;iI "point" of perfection 

 — is, like the center oi |.o|iulaiiou. liable to change as 

 conditions and methods \ ary or improve under local 

 development. At present this point or center may jer- 

 haps be located with more reason at Valdosta, in South 

 Georgia, near the Florida line, than anywhere else. 

 Augusta, however, in eastern Georgia, was formerly 

 considered the great center of southern melon produc- 

 tion—its very "throne of empire"— and was, for many 

 years, noted for shipping the largest, choicest and most 

 succulent specimens found in the markets of the North 

 and West. 



rariefies. —Twenty years ago, and for many years 

 previous, the tempting if rather startling announce- 

 ment, "Augusta Rattlesnakes" could be seen invitingly 

 placarded over ev-rv lo-ovressive i,-e..ie:i|er's door in ail 



of the l.i- -11m- i-r 111. I:m:,| Til. n .11 1.1 Ml ll,, ■ Kolb 



Gem." an \ i. .... ..... .'111-. 



though n '. 1 i ... !,::.. '.-.... I . . : . ^ a 



market I'lu.inh.. iumI iIm. piiLlh. iiii'm i.i pi.ter tlie 

 round to the oblong form, thou^di still partial to the 

 "striped rind." 



In ante-bellum days, besides the Rattlesnake only two 

 varieties obtained general recognition at the South for 



'.\....I]i I liii. T,;i\.,'i.ii iiiiil fiilia melons, with their 



I ' : : I ! .lurk green, the latter 



1. ! . . I I . :, I 1 \ pe (pale green rind 



Willi .1. i. I. . ...... .1 ... , ivi but both of them 



ot..i.|..ii_. ! . . I . . . . -. ..t p.. ..ism-e gradually 



displa.-e - . \: iilesnake, and 



edence 1" n. 1 . i- i.-i. I'. .. .: .r ovoid form 

 became lulU . -;;.i.i;-lM.I m inii.'-. i:i. i- liy the later 

 advent of the ".Tones" type, wlii.di soon dominated the 

 market, its refreshing dark green color proving par- 

 ticularly attractive. Selections of this strain, culminat- 

 ing with Duke .Tones. Lord P.ai-on and others, liave 

 finally broil L-iil iln- m. li.n n|. i.. n - i.ljl.. -1 i- rl. i.tion, 

 though tl ..| :. •!. ■. li..!-...;., ::..|, as 



Florida I . , , . . 1 ,. ^ ,■,.»- 



Rattlesnake. ^ui;;.rloal. .s,iiee|,l,ead. .Sealv l.al Is and llie 



like are by no means "back numbers." 



Nor have the North and West been altogether idle in 

 the work of development, many of the best of the recent 

 introductions and some of the older strains coming 

 from these sections. Indiana, for instance, gives us 

 Sweetheart and Hoosier King; Cuban Queen, Delaware 

 and Boss come from the Middle States; while Virginia 

 contributes Jordan Gray Monarch. 



Many points combine to form the ideal melon. Tlie 

 scale of excellence for the southern type is probably 

 about as follows: 



Per cent 

 Shipping capacity 3.t 



attaining il.ore 11.., seiouci, loll, si peiiielmu. And of 

 this area Georgia in particular is noted as producing 

 not only the bulk of the crop shipped to northern trade 

 centers, but the choicest selection as well. 



Shaiie 



Color of flesh 

 Color of rind, 



