232 THE SMALL COUNTRY PLACE 



be raised a little above the level to carry off the surface 

 water quickly. The seeds should not be planted until 

 the ground is well warmed, in this section not until the 

 last of May or early June. If grown in large areas the 

 work may be done largely by the horse and the crop 

 grown at small cost. 



Varieties. 



The varieties most grown are: Muskmelons Rocky- 

 ford, Paul Rese, Miller's Cream. Watermelons Sweet- 

 heart, Kolb's Gem, Alabama Sweet. 



ONIONS. 



If one has deep sandy loam free from stones, and not 

 too full of weed seeds, this crop will be found profitable. 

 For the best results the land should be plowed in the 

 fall, and if a light dressing of manure be turned under 

 it will insure early working in the spring. In the spring 

 the land may either be plowed or deeply harrowed, ap- 

 plying any good vegetable fertilizer at the rate of from 

 one-half to one ton per acre. The land must be worked 

 fine and mellow, and if there is any coarse material on 

 the surface it should be raked off so as not to clog the 

 seed-sower. The seed should be sown as early in the 

 spring as possible. The cultivation required consists 

 in running the wheel- or scuffle-hoe so frequently that 

 no small weeds will become established between the 

 rows, and in hand-pulling all weeds growing in the rows. 

 Weeds can be most cheaply killed when they are just 

 bursting through the soil. If they are brought to the 

 surface at this time with the hoe or rake, or covered 

 with a little soil, that is all that is needed. 



When the tops begin to turn yellow they should be 

 pulled and thrown in thin windrows and frequently 

 turned until dry. 



