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MUSKMELONS SPECIAL, SOIL REQUIREMENTS 

 AND HOW TO GATHER 



THERE is no question but that quality in the melons 

 differs on soils of a different character. Some claim 

 that a warm, sandy loam grows the best product, but ex- 

 cellent quality crops have been raised on heavy clay 

 soil. A great deal depends on the variety that is being 

 grown as well as on the season. 



When is a melon ripe? As a rule, with the smooth- 

 skinned sorts, a change in color will announce the start 

 of the ripening process. When the stem that joins 

 the fruit to the vine begins to crack around the edges 

 next to the melon and a slight twist will separate the 

 two, the fruit may be considered ripe. With the netted 

 varieties, the gradual change in color is not so easily 

 detected and a closer watching for the cracks around the 

 stem end is advisable. The melons are generally of top- 

 notch quality when a few drops of a reddish juice begin 

 to show at the cracking stem end. 



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