■WATERMELON 



As southern melons art* inU-nded, ]>riinarily, for sale, 

 a hard, tlii^'k rind. \vi|-h lirnLness and sulidify of flesh, 

 is a paramouut requisite, as it makes a safr sl"ii[.[M;r and 

 loui; keeper. 



Uufortunately, quality, which is based mainly u|>un a 

 high sugar content, is j^f uerally inseparable fn-nt a thiu 

 rind and tender tiesh — contradictory features to those 

 requisite for a good ship[.ier. This accounts for the 

 relatively inferior quality of snch melons as Rattle- 

 snake, Kolb Gem and Jones, which are gruwn, of 

 course, for distant markets. The metropolitan seldom 

 realizes the supreme lusciousness which it is possible 

 for some of the best local varieties in the bouth to 



"WATERMELON 



19G9 



2719. A Georgia Watermelon. 



attain unless he has Vieon lucky enough to test them in 

 the field. Even a Lord Bacon, the best of the shipping 

 melons, cannot stand table comparison with Ramsay, 

 Dixie, Jordau Gray Mduarch, Kleckley Sweets, Mclver 

 ISugar, Plaiuney Early or Mnuutain Sweet. 



Shape is of miner consideration, if only ordinary 

 symmetry or freedom frmn distinct deformity is pre- 

 served, as prefereiM-e ai'pi'ars to be divided between the 

 round or ovuid and eliuiLiated forms, while the marking 

 or color of riud is of still less moment; although of 

 late a solid green tint seems to hnd a readier market 

 than either the strijied or "gray" marking, while an 

 irregular, blotched -urtaci-. as with Scalyhark or Moun- 

 tain Sprout, thouirh attarhrd to good quality and size, 

 is distinctly ohject.-d to. 



"With reirard to color of flesh, the j'ublic is united in 

 demanding a dee]' red r.r i-rimson heart, ■with feu" seeds ; 

 for white or g(d(b:'n-tleshrd varieties have never f«.)uiid 

 favor. They are geMiPi-allv regarded as wanting in 

 character or insi)nd. although some melons of this type 

 unquestionably att;ijn snpi-rior quality. 



Little difference is oliservaljle betwecTi varieties in 

 their capacity to resist disease and insect depredation. 

 Vigor of growth depends mainly upon individual cul- 

 tural method'^ and little upon variety: nor is there much 

 TNarked dilTerence in time of maturity between the dif- 

 ferent strains. 



Of all the physical features enumerated, size and 

 shipping capacity are by far the most importaut — to- 

 gether aggregating 00 per cent of the requisites for an 

 ideal type. Size is ;dniost as necessary as resistant 

 rind, and it i^ fatrd to attempt to ship small melons. 

 Results would be far betrer if stricter culling should be 

 universally followed. 



To summarize: For slii)qiing purposes the fidlowing 

 varieties may be contidt^itly listed n^ sui'i-rior, in the 

 order named: Lord FJacon, Kolh Gem, and Georgia 

 (preferably Augnsta) Rattlesnake. 



For table or family: Jordan Gray Monarrh, Sibley 

 Triumph and Seminole. 



For early melons: IMemphis, Augusta Sngarloaf and 

 Augusta JRattlesnake. 



For late mehms : Boss, Scalybark and Sweetheart. 



C'(?/;(7v. — "While thp Watermelon is extjvmely cosmo- 

 politan and will readily accommodate itself to a variety 

 of soils, and, particularly in its own best region — the 

 "Wiregrass^'— will submit to an infinity of rough and 

 unscientific treatment without rebelling, yet a warm, 

 light, grav, sandy soil is its delight, especially when 

 supplemented by a strong clay subsoil that will daily 



yitdd its modicum of moisture, little by little, when 

 called on. Like the cat and the grape, the melon cannot 

 bear "Wet feet." Still, the soil should not be too dry. 

 Sitllicient ca].illarity must exist to keep the roots of the 

 l-lants well supplied with their proper amount of niois- 

 ture-thuugh not enough to evaporate the entire reser- 

 voir of water in tlie .subsoil iniu the atmosphere. A 

 soil too rich in humus is not desirable. Sufficient nitro- 

 gen for its use can be supplied artiticially where it does 

 not exist naturally. A surplus nuiy, an<l generally does, 

 produce larger mfdons, but at the expense of quality. 

 Th.^y will prove s(d'i. watery and insipid-poor shij.- 

 I'ers. and with a small iicrcentagp of sugar. Therefor.-, 

 an idral lo.-;irion for a imdiui pla1 i.n a small scale will 

 lie found on the siir- i,f an abandoned eowlot, or an obi 

 ga.rden sia.t. "Secoud bottmus "- the ae.-umuiated de- 

 tritus of hilUides-s.^v.- a<lmiral»iy, Init creek bottoms 

 or heavy njuck of any sort woubl be no more admissible 

 for the melon than for grapes or ]n-aclies. 



Rotation of crop area is all-important. Never should 

 two crops of melons occupy the sam.- plat with an inter- 

 val of less than three years l^etween them. In tliat 

 time, insect de()redators, attracted by the first melon 

 crop, will proliably have beconje exterminated, and the 

 drain from the soil of specific ]ilant-food (especially 

 potash) will also have been, to a great extent at least, 

 made good. 



Preparation of the land should be thorough, but not 

 necessarily deep. The roots of the melon extend quite 

 a distance undm- ground laterally, but close to the sur- 

 face. The deeper t)ie land is broken, the deeper the 

 roots will be induced to penetrate, disturbing their nor- 

 mal haldt and producing surplus vine at the expense of 

 fruit. But because shallow plowing is permissible, for 

 that very reason the surface pulverization should be 

 tliorough and effective. What is saved on the subsoiler 

 should be expendi'd on the harrow. After breaking, 

 two harrowings. one with a cutaway, the other with an 

 Acme harrow, shoultl follow. This leaves the plat in 

 excellent condition, estM-eially if a cro]i of cow-peas has 

 been grown on the laiel the previous year, as is always 

 advisal.ile. 



The richer the soil or the higher the fertilization, the 

 more luxuriant will l>e the resulting growth of vines. 

 Hence, the distance apart at which the "hills " should 

 be located nuist correspond. On very rich land 12 feet 

 a]>art each way is none too much: indeed, many growers 

 ]irefer this distance even on poor land. It is entirely a 

 matter for individual control. Probably 10 x 10 feet is 

 the distance most frequently employed, and in no case 

 should it be less than 8x8, and this very rarely. What- 

 ever the distance, the land should be checked in squares, 

 locating the hills eijuidistant in both directions. 



Wljatever the distance adopted, the plat, after its 

 final "freshening up" with the harrow, is "laid off'* 

 with cross furrows made by a light "scooter" plow. 

 Then, in one direction, with a wide "shovel" plow, an 

 opening furrow is run in which the fertilizer is drilled 

 and thoroughly mixed with a scooter — two trips to tha 

 row — on which four furrows are next "listed" witii a 

 turn-plow, thus forming the bed f(U- planting, wlii'di 

 will warm up sooner than the surrounding soil. The 

 "middles " are broken out later. 



Many growers still cling to the obsolete practice of 

 dragging np the dirt with a hoe into individual hills at 

 the intersection of the furrows, and therein concentrat- 

 ing the manure, as in garden squash culture, instead (>f 

 employing the more modern and economical "continu- 

 ous beds," Where compost is used on a small scale 

 this may be excusable; but it is imt only preferable, 

 but on a large scale necessarj', to drill commercial ferti- 

 lizers. 



A crop of cow-peas the previous year is the liest 

 "|U'e pa ration that I'an be given an area intended for 

 melons. It leaves the soil well storeil with nitrogeji, 

 light, porous ami easily worked. In midwinter or early 

 sjiring. according to latitude, the manure, if c.>nnnercial 

 fertilizer is employed, should be put in; compost or 

 stable droppings sooner, to insure i^artial decomposi- 

 tion by planting time. Stable mamire, however, is 

 always variable in its content of plant-food, and there- 

 fore for mo.re reliable results commercial fertilizers are 

 ju'eferable, particularly when operations are conducted 



