Garden Crops Grown for Their Fruits 269 
Seed catalogues list many varieties of muskmelons. 
The beginner should perhaps choose first the sorts that 
are most successfully grown in the locality. The Rocky 
Ford or Netied Gem, Emerald Gem, and Defender (also 
called Burrel’s Gem) are excellent sorts for general culture. 
Extra Early Hackensack and Osage are two other varie- 
ties that are extensively grown. 
OKRA 
This plant grows splendidly throughout the southern 
and the middle states. Dwarf varieties can be grown 
with some success farther north, especially if seedlings 
are started under glass; and in some sections of the 
North the crop grows well if planted on rich soil in a 
sunny location. 
The crop thrives on any good garden soil, but does 
best on a rich, well-drained soil. The seed is slow in 
germinating, but the process can be hastened and made 
more certain by soaking the seed in water. Because 
of the cold soil, the seed of early plantings often fails to 
germinate. 
The seed is sown in rows rather thickly, to allow for 
poor germination. The plants that grow should be 
thinned to stand 15 to 18 inches apart in the row. The 
young tender pods are harvested when one-half or two- 
thirds grown, and used in soups, as well as for making 
the famous Southern ‘“‘ Creole gumbo.” 
The Dwarf Prolific is an early variety that can be 
recommended. Other excellent sorts, such as White 
Velvet and Long Green, are very satisfactory. 
