WATERMELON. 



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large but vary much in size, color and markings. The fruit 

 varies in color of skin from pale j^ellow to deep green and is 

 often mottled; the flesh varies from white to pink or yellow. 

 Some are tasteless and insipid and others are sugary and re- 

 freshing. The fruit often weighs as much as fifty pounds in good 

 seasons when grown in favorable locations, even in the extreme 

 northern states. 



Culture. — The method of culture is the same as for tbe 

 cucumber and musRmelon, with the exception that the vines 

 should not be pinched, and they require rather more room in 

 which to grow. They should be planted about eight feet apart 

 each v/ay. 



Varieties. — There are many kinds of watermelons offered by 

 seedsmen, diiffering from one another in many particulars. Sev- 

 eral of the most esteemed are the following: 



Dark and Light Icing, or Ice Rind. — The best two varieties 

 for general use. Well adapted for home use or marketing. 



Hungarian. — A melon of good quality, adapted for the home 

 garden. 



Volga. — An early variety with light colored skin and very 

 red flesh. Fruit rather small but of excellent quality and very 

 productive. 



Citron, or Preserving Melon. — Resembles watermelon, but the 

 flesh is hard and only flt for preserves. There is but a limited 

 demand for it. 



CUCUMBER. (Cucumis sativus.) 



Native of the East Indies. — Annual. — A creeping plant with 

 angular, flexible stems, rough to touch and furnished with ten- 

 drils. The howers are yellow, in the axils of the leaves, some 

 male, others female; the latter flowers are on the ovary, which 

 later becomes the cucumber. The plants produce flowers and 

 fruit in succession over a long season, and these are naturally 

 I-ollen^zed by insects. The seed is long-oval in form and yellow- 

 ish-white in color. 



Cultivation. — The land for cucuinbers should be a deep, rich, 

 somewhat retentive loam, and yet this vegetable will do very well 

 with only moderately favorable conditions. For ordinary use 

 and for the home garden, cucumber seed should be planted after 



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