234 THE VINE CROPS 



average thirty pounds each will sell much more readily and for a 

 considerably higher price than a carload averaging twenty-two 

 or even twenty-five pounds each (Fig. 138) . When the market 

 becomes well supplied, the smaller sizes are least in demand. 



Watermelons for Home Use. — The above discussion refers 

 primarily to the growing of watermelons on a commercial basis. 

 For home use they may be grown on almost any good soil where 

 the season is sufficiently long and hot for the melons to ripen. 

 Except under favorable conditions of soil, climate and cultural 

 methods, the melons are likely to be small. This does not, however, 

 impair their quality for home consumption, and the fact that a 

 person is not located upon a distinctively watermelon soil should 

 not deter him from growing a supply for home use. 



Fig. 139. — Citron or pn>.r\ ihl: melon. 



CITRON OR PRESERVING MELON 



The citron closely resembles the watermelon in general appear- 

 ance of vine and fruit; and the cultural methods are essentially 

 the same for both, except that the citron is somewhat less 

 particular as to soil than the watermelon. The flesh as well as the 

 rind of the citron is of much the same consistency as the rind of 

 a watermelon, and is used for making sweet pickles and preserves. 

 It is not edible in the raw state. 



The citron melon contains an unusually large percentage of 

 pectin — the substance which must be present in fruits to make 

 their juice ^' jell." It has been discovered that the addition of 

 equal parts of the pulp and juice of the citron melon to fruits 

 such as peaches, cherries, blue berries and others, which will not 



