500 MANUAL OF GARDENING 
Give the hills a distance of 6 to 10 feet apart. Choose a warm, 
“quick” soil and sunny exposure. It is essential, in the North, that 
the plants grow rapidly and come into bloom early. One ounce of 
seed will plant thirty hills. 
There are several white or yellow-fleshed varieties, but aside from 
their oddity of appearance they have little value. A good watermelon 
has a solid, bright red flesh, preferably with black seeds, and a strong 
protecting rind. Kolb Gem, Jones, Boss, Cuban Queen, and Dixie 
are among the best varieties. There are early varieties that will ripen 
in the Northern season, and make a much better melon than those 
secured on the market. 
The so-called ‘‘citron,” with hard white flesh, used in making pre- 
serves, is a form of watermelon. 
