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The Cucurbits 



Ford, Hackensack, Jenny Lind, Montreal. Of the latter 

 are Emerald Gem, Osage, Banquet, Burrell, Tip Top. 

 The Cassaba and Christmas melons are large types grown 

 specially well in long-season irrigated regions, and 

 thence shipped to the eastern markets. They are very un- 

 like the common netted melons, lacking the odor and 

 characteristic markings and keeping well. 



WATERMELON 



At 10 X 10 ft.. 435 hills are contained in an acre ; this is a 

 common distance tor planting the commercial crop, but smaller 

 garden varieties may be set 8 x S ft. About 4 or 5 pounds of 

 seed are used to the acre. Plant about 1 in. deep. A good com- 

 mercial crop is about 12 tons to the acre. The watermelon is 

 more tender to cold than the muskmelon. 



Wilt {Fusariuni iureum). — rsually one branch after an- 

 other of an affected plant wilts and dries up until the whole 

 plant is dead. An examination of the stem shows the woody 

 portion to be discolored. Control: Crop rotation, the control 

 of drainage water to prevent overflowing uninfested soil, and 

 the avoidance of contaminated stable manure on melon fields 

 are important. 



Anthracnose {CoUetotrichum larienarium) . — This disease 

 occurs also on cucumbers, muskmelons. and other plants of the 

 cucurbit family. Irregular black dead spots appear on the 

 affected leaves and die prematurely. Numerous blackened 

 sunken spots appear on the fruits. Control: Thorough and 

 timely spraying with bordeaux mixture is a preventive. 



Stem-end eot (Dioplodia sp.). — The first indication of the 

 disease is a browning and shrivelling of the stem followed by 

 a softening of the melon at the point of attachment. As the 

 flesh softens, it becomes water-soaked in appearance. The dis- 

 ease causes severe loss in shipment. Control: Field sanita- 

 tion is important in view of the fact that vegetation of 

 nearly all kinds may harbor the causal organism. Thorough 

 applications of bordeaux mixture are necessary, since the fun- 



