Wateemelon Oultuee. 143 



and air in. Melon plants will get the third leaf quicker 

 if wo(rked as soon as they oome up. When a good stand 

 is secured I put two more two-horse furrows on the hed 

 throwing the dirt as near the top of the bed as possible not 

 to cover up the young plants. 



I next plow the melons, usually with a sweep, thus 

 cleaning the drill and filling up the two-horse furrow that 

 has been left open. I then bed out the middles with n 

 two-horse plow throwing as much dirt to the melon row 

 as possible. 



I find that it is best to have the melons on a high ridge 

 such as can be made with two-horse plow as our greatest 

 trouble in the cultivation of melons is usually sobbing of 

 the land and scalding of the vines by continued rains that 

 we usually have while the melons are bearing; therefore, 

 the bed should be well drained into deep middles. If a 

 two-horse plow is not available I would advise plowing 

 out the middles two times with one-horse plow throwing 

 the dirt to the melon row both times. 



As soon as the young plants begin bunching, to run, I 

 thin to one plant in the hill and cultivate often with 

 sweeps keeping just ahead of the vines', not disturbing the 

 vines by turning them, except up to the time they are 

 three feet long. I find it advisable to lay the vines length- 

 wise on the drill and plow up close, but after the vines 

 get old enough to begin blooming and forming young mel- 

 ons they should not be turned or disturbed ; by depressing 

 the handles of the plow, the wings of the sweeps will pas^ 

 under the ends of the longest vines without injury to them. 



Continuing to plow wit hsweeps just ahead of the vines 

 until they are lapping in the middle and then plow no 



