WATERMELON 



As southern melons are intended, primarily, for sale, 

 a hard, thick rind, with firmness and solidity of flesh, 

 is a paramount requisite, as it makes a safe shipper and 

 Ions keeper. 



Unfortunately, quality, which is based mainly upon a 

 high sugar content, is generally inseparable from a thin 

 rind and tender flesh-contradictory features to those 

 requisite for a good shipper. This accounts for the 

 relatively inferior quality of such melons as Rattle- 

 snake, Kolb Gem and Jones, which are grown, of 

 course, for distant markets. The metropolitan seldom 

 realizes the supreme lusciousness which it is possible 

 for some of the best local varieties in the South to 



WATERMELON 



19C9 



27 9 A Georgia Watermeh 



attain unless he has been lucky enough to test them in 



the field Even a Loid Bacon the be>,t of the shipping 



1 elon^ ciTinnt stind t<it le con parison with Rams"i\ 



n \ p 1 I M 11 1h\ Sweets Mc^ei 



SI I s eet 



s| f only ordinar 



leformity is pi 



1 ided between the 



I 11 1 hile the marking 



r ol r t 1 nt althiugh of 



I ite 1 1 I i 1 readier market 



tl in eitl H tl ukirg while an 



rreg il 11 t 1 ! 1 1 1 St ilybark or Moun 



t m Sp t I 1 1 1 to good quality and size 



\\ ith 1 H I I t fl h the public is united in 



leminli I 1 *■ rt with few seeds 



t r white liave nevei found 



1 aractf Ions of this type 



enumerated size and 



the 



If „ 1)0 1 ei tent of the requisites foi an 



1 It il t> I- Size IS almost as necessary as resistant 

 iind and it i-. fatal to attempt to ship small melons 

 Results W3 il 1 1 e far better if stricter culling should he 

 universally followed. 



varieties may be conli.l.'iiily li^i.d :is sii|,. rior. in the 



order named: Lord 11 ii. K'nlW Cnii. and (ItMr^ia 



(preferably Augusta I Raiflcsnakc 



For table or family: Jordan Gray Monarch, 8ibley 

 Triumph and Seminole. 



For early melons: Memphis, Augusta Sugarloaf and 

 Augusta Rattlesnake. 



For late iiii'l.,,is: Boss, Scalyhark and Sweetheart. 



Ciilfitr. .- WliUv till- Wati-rraelon is extremely cosmo- 

 politan and will r.'a.ii!\- a(a^<»mmodate itself to a variety 

 ..I >"il-. an. I, i.aiti.ularlv in its own best region-the 

 "\Vir.-ia-^' -will submit to an infinity of rough and 

 iin-i-icMitilif treatment without rebelling, yet a warm, 

 liL'ht. gray, sandy soil is its delight, especially when 

 supplemented by a strong clay subsoil that will daily 



yield its modicum of moisture, little by little, when 

 called on. Like the cat and the grape, the melon cannot 

 bear "wet feet." Still, the soil should not be too dry. 

 Suflicient capillarity must exist to keep the roots of the 

 plants well supplied with their proper amount of mois- 

 ture—though not enough to evaporate the entire reser- 

 voir of water in the snlis..il into the atmosphere. A 

 soil ton rich in iininns is nut desirable. Sufficient nitro- 

 gen for its nse I an I.e snppliiMl artificially where it does 

 not exist naturally. A surplns ma)', and generally does, 

 produce luryei- uielous, but at the expense of quality. 

 They will prove soft, watery and insipid— poor ship- 

 peis and with a small penentage of sugar Therefore, 

 an ideal location foi a melon plat on a small scale will 

 be found en the site f ui i nl it 1 tow lot or an old 

 gaiden si t Stt i 1 I — 1 umuKted de- 



tritus of hillsi les— I 1 1 leek bottoms 



or hf iv% niutk tf auN II re admissible 



foi tl n 1 1 n than for ^ i | I 



lid 



t r I t I lelons occupj th il tl i nter- 



111 tl in three yeirs I e 1 In that 



t t lei redators atti i t I I 1 1 t ii elon 



tioi 11 1 1 1 ably have beet mt \t u ii at 1 ud the 

 drim troin the soil of speciht j Unt ft d (especially 

 potash) will also hate been to a great extent at least, 

 made good 



Preparation of the 1 md sh ul 1 1 e thorough but not 



necessarilj d 

 a distance ut 

 face The 1 



n extend quil 

 I e to the sur- 

 tl e deepei the 



I 1 tl en nor- 



The richer the soil or the higher the fertilization the 

 more luxuiiant will be tie resulting growth of vines. 

 Hence the distance apiit at wl i h the hills should 



be lo ated 



( lefer this 

 mitter for 

 the I t I 



ch land 12 feet 

 I manj growers 



\ 10x10 feet IS 



she il 1 1 I 1 IS ven larely What- 



ever tl I I 1 be checked m squares, 



locit II 1 th directions 



W 1 I I I te 1 the plat after its 



final tie 1 ei 11 ^ 1 ] tl tl e harrow is laid oft" 



with cross furrows mi le 1 j a lioht scooter plow. 

 Then m one diiecti n with a wile sloiel plow an 

 i-hich the fertilizer is drilled 

 1 a SCO ter— tno tri) s to the 

 row- 1 111 fin ws aie n xt listed with a 



turn I I tl t 11 g tl e be 1 for ] lanting which 



will 1 I 1 thin the surrounding soil The 



mi Idles aie bi ken out later 



Man> gioweis still clmg to the obs I te ] a t e .f 

 dragging up the dirt with a hoe into ii li I I 1 II it 

 the intersection of the furiows and tl i i t 



ing the manure, as in garden squash culture, instead uf 

 employing the more modern autl economical "continu- 

 ous beds." Where compost is used on a small scale 

 this may be excusable: but it is not only preferable, 

 but on a large scale necessary, to drill commercial ferti- 

 lizers. 



A crop of cow-peas the previous year is the best 

 preparation that can be given an area intended for 

 melons. It leaves the soil well .stored with nitrogen, 

 light, porous and easily worked. In iiiidwititer or early 

 spring, according to latitude, the mannre, if e..nimercial 

 fertilizer is employed, should be |int in: e. impost or 

 stable droppings sooner, to insure ].,niial d. (■umposi- 

 tion by planting time. Stable manure, however, is 

 always variable in its content of plant-food, and there- 

 fore for nitwe reliable results commercial fertilizers are 

 preferable, particularly when operations are conducted 



