298 



The Cucurbits 



with sufficient length of season and continuous ■warmth to 

 insure maturity of crop. Many varieties of watermelons 

 are catalogued by seedsmen. Only a few of them are 



commercial varie- 

 ties, and the kinds 

 that are popular in 

 the South require a 

 too long season for 

 the North. Only in 

 favored places are 



176. Watermelon seedlings (X 2/5). Watermelons gTOWU 



in the Northernmost States. They are more uncertain 

 than muskmelons, because of the short and cool seasons. 

 A number of varieties, however, ripen without difficulty 

 in the Northern States and Ontario when a warm soil 

 and exposure are at hand and where small boys are 

 absent. The plants may be started under glass, as advised 

 on page 283. 



The ideal soil is light sandy loam with only a medium 

 or small amount of nitrogen. 

 Much nitrogen is thought to 

 diminish the essential saccha- 

 rine constituent. A point of 

 special emphasis is that of 

 thorough drainage. Swampy 

 or "soggy" land will not pro- 

 duce favorable results. In the 

 South the field for melons is 

 often plowed in the fall, to 

 expose the soil to the pulverizing action of frost. 



Watermelons are planted in hills, which are usually 10 



Pistillate (fertile) flower ol 

 watermelon (X 1/3). 



