WATERMELONS. 187 



A crop may be brought in early by using flower- 

 pots and potting soil as described for cucumbers, but 

 the pots should be a size larger than for cucumbers. 



When seed is planted in the field, it may be planted 

 in a shorter time after fertilizing than when plants are 

 set out. Drop eight or twelve seeds in a hill ; insects 

 and vermin will destroy so many that but few will 

 have to be thinned out. If cotton seed meal has 

 been used as a source of nitrogen (and this is advisa- 

 ble), a teaspoonful of nitrate of soda may be scattered 

 in the hill just after the seedlings have appeared above 

 the ground, or as the plants are set out. This will 

 stimulate the plants to a rapid growth, and get them 

 out of the way of insects. 



CULTIVATING. 



All cultivation should be shallow, merely to keep 

 the surface mellow and free from weeds. As soon as 

 practicable after heavy rains, the field should be 

 plowed, and, when no rains occur, the field should be 

 plowed every week or ten days, depending upon the 

 kind of land. It is not necessary to plow all the mid- 

 dles while the plants are small, but weeds should not 

 be allowed to go to seed ; but if the weather is dry, 

 the middles must be worked to conserve the moisture 

 in the soil, and all weeds kept down, as each one of 

 these is a leak to so much soil moisture. As the plants 

 grow larger, the cultivation has to be pushed farther 

 to the middles until "finally the plants meet across the 

 rows, when plowing must be discontinued. If tall 

 weeds grow in the field after this, they should be cut 

 off, not pulled, as the vines are fastened to these by 

 their tendrils and the vines must not be disturbed. 



MARKETING. 



This is a simple operation, and yet many fail from 



