THE 188 
GARDEN YARD 
Ontario, if both soil and exposure be warm 
enough. Watermelon needs such a long season, 
such a warm, well-drained soil, such attention 
to detail, to come to perfection, that it is not a 
very profitable crop for the average gardener. 
In the past, the south Atlantic and Gulf States 
have held first place as watermelon centres, and 
are likely to continue in that proud position 
even though the mid-continental States have 
taken up the industry. 
Seeds are planted where the plants are to 
grow, but all danger of frosts should be past. 
The best.soil preparation includes fall plowing 
that the winter frost may help powder the earth. 
The hills are made by mixing several shovelfuls 
of well-rotted manure with the soil and then 
covering the mixture with some inches of fine, 
soft earth. Plant the seeds in this and see that 
the soil does not bake or crust. This can only 
be avoided by careful surface tillage. The 
cultivation of watermelons must be done solely 
with hand-tools, as the vines are very tender 
and the least injury to them affects both quan- 
tity and quality of crop. The hills are usually 
ten feet apart each way, and there are only 
435 hills to the acre. It takes four pounds of 
seed to sow an acre. When grown in the North- 
ern States, plants may be started under glass, 
