CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 469 



it is important to take the plants as well as the individual 

 melons into consideration. It is desirable to discard the 

 seeds at the stem and the blossom ends of the melon, 

 because they are not so mature nor so well developed. 

 The seed is often kept four or five years, so that it is 

 unnecessary to grow and save seed annually. 



675. Starting early plants. Watermelon seed is usu- 

 ally planted in the open ground where the crop is to 

 mature. In northern districts, however, the plants are 

 sometimes started under glass as described for cucum- 

 bers (436) and for muskmelons (512). 



676. Soil preparation. The soil must be well supplied 

 with humus, although an excessive amount may cause 

 too much vine growth at the sacrifice of fruit. The 

 methods of soil preparation are practically the same as 

 for muskmelons (513). 



677. Fertilizing. See notes (514) on fertilizing musk- 

 melons. 



678. Planting. See notes (515) on planting musk- 

 melons. Where soil is rather poor, watermelons may be 

 planted in hills, 8x8 feet apart; but the more common 

 distance is 10 x 10 feet, while in rich soils the hills are 

 often 12 x 12 feet. The seeds are sometimes planted 

 in drills as explained for muskmelons (515), but more 

 space is allowed between the plants in the row. 



679. Cultivation. See notes (516) on cultivating 

 muskmelons. Always stir the soil about the plants in the 

 hills after hard rains, which may incrust the surface. 



680. Harvesting and marketing. It is exceedingly im- 

 portant that every melon be sent to market at the proper 

 stage of ripening. If it is underripe, quality will be sac- 

 rificed, and if overripe it will not carry well on wagons 

 or cars, and the quality will also be inferior. 



Experience counts for more than anything else in en- 

 abling one to determine the proper time to pick melons. 

 Many people who live in melon districts and have helped 



