A Wonderful Dairy Invention. A Voice from the Klondike. 
Yol. LVIII. No. 2571. 
NEW YORK, MAY 6, 1899. 
81 PER YEAR. 
THE MANUFACTURE OF MUSKMELONS. 
BEST VARIETIES ; HOW TO GROW THEM. 
The Small Markets Are Often Neglected. 
Melons for Home Use. —It is universally acknowl¬ 
edged that nothing is grown in the garden that excels 
the muskmelon as a delicacy. The demands of the 
city markets, however, are met chiefly by growers on 
a large scale about or near those cities, while the 
average town and country homes are without them. 
Melons are none too good for the farmer’s own family. 
Nothing is more important than the selection of 
varieties. It is a popular fallacy that fruit, to be 
good, must be large. With the melon, however, more 
than any other fruit, increase in size beyond the aver¬ 
age is accompanied by a corresponding decrease in 
flavor. Hence, in the following list, are mentioned 
only the smaller and medium-sized varieties. Three 
very popular and valuable small varieties are shown 
in Fig. 135. These are, No. 23, Rose Gem ; No. 80, 
Netted Gem and No. 85, Jenny Lind. Of the medium- 
size, Jersey Belle, Banquet, Miller’s Cream and Del- 
monico are very reliable. 
Starting Early ; Soils.— It is an excellent thing, 
if one has the conveniences, to start seeds for early 
melons in two or three-inch pots, or in sods, etc., one 
plant in a pot; then transplant into a four-inch pot, 
and from these harden off in a cold frame. They are 
then ready for the garden. Fig. 134 represents a plant 
ready for transplanting. This is an especially desira¬ 
ble scheme in the northern sections of our country, 
where the frosts come early. 
The soil must be well adapted for the muskmelon. 
It is modest, however, asking for one of only average 
fertility, too rich a soil inducing abundant vines and 
fruit of poor quality and lateness. It will do well on 
any soil, provided it is well-drained and friable. How¬ 
ever, one containing a generous amount of humus is 
best; and when this is not already present, it can be 
supplied by plowing under coarse manure or various 
green manures. 
Food, and Cultivation.—A well decomposed com¬ 
post for use in 
making the 
hills is desira¬ 
ble, and is best 
when m a d e a 
year in advance 
To make this, 
pile up manure, 
keeping it 
moist, and al¬ 
lowing decom¬ 
position to set 
in. Should hen, 
sheep or horse 
manure be 
used, it is al¬ 
ways best to 
mix such with 
soil before 
stacking. Early 
in Spring, 
some time be¬ 
fore using, cut 
the heap down, 
and shovel it 
over in order to 
pulverize it. One or two good shovelfuls per hill are 
sufficient, if thoroughly mixed with the soil. Should 
the compost lack in nitrogenous constituents, as do 
those named, add a handful of finely-ground bone to 
each hill, working it well into the mixture of soil and 
compost. Unleached wood ashes are used with good 
results by mixing in a similar manner. They do not, 
however, take the place of the ground bone. Of course, 
much depends upon the condition of both soil and 
compost as to the amount of ingredients or manures 
to be used. It is well, also, to use complete commer¬ 
cial fertilizer over all the ground, and compost in the 
hills. 
The cultivation of the melon patch should be at¬ 
tended to. Fall plowing has many advantages, pro¬ 
vided the land is not too rolling, therefore liable to 
wash. By the action of frost, the soil becomes friable, 
insects are to a great degree destroyed, and the laEd 
may be worked earlier in the Spring. When the plow¬ 
ing is done in Spring, perform it early that the material 
turned under may have time at least partially to de¬ 
compose before the roots begin feeding upon it. A 
heavy soil is plowed and worked more deeply than a 
light one. It should be well pulverized before making 
the hills. Then mark out the soil, 5x6 feet, making 
hills at the intersections. Where a shovel-plow is 
used, it requires but little work with a hoe to prepare 
each hole for receiving the compost. Next add the 
compost, mixing with about equal parts of loose soil. 
This fills the hole level full when well firmed. Then 
slightly raise each hill by drawing the loose soil over 
the compost to a depth of 1% inch. 
The Baby Plants.—Place from 15 to 20 seeds in 
each hill to insure against failure in germination, in¬ 
sect troubles, etc. They should always be planted 
sidewise or flat for best results in germination. Press 
them into the soil, covering not over one inch in depth. 
By firming the soil in the usual way with the back of 
the hoe, germination is hastened. Cultivation must 
be continued, both to a good depth and at compara¬ 
tively frequent intervals. As the plants grow larger, 
lessen it, and when the foliage covers most of the 
area, stop it altogether. The amount of handhoeing 
depends upon the weediness of the ground, but should 
be resorted to, at least every week or 10 days at first 
to keep the plants growing. After heavy, dashing 
rains, or in extremely dry weather, a slight amount 
of hoeing loosens the soil. 
As soon as the plants are sufficiently established, 
thin them to four plants in a hill. Pruning or pinch¬ 
ing off the end of the vine is often resorted to when 
the plants are a few feet in length, in order to force 
out the lateral growth, which bears the fruit. This 
is seldom practiced, however, by large growers. It is, 
also, advisable to remove all fruit that sets too late to 
mature, in order to strengthen the others. 
Insects ; Marketing. —Insects are sometimes very 
troublesome, especially the small yellow leaf-beetles, 
the Striped cucumber beetle, yellow with black stripes, 
and the Spotted cucumber beetle, yellow with 12 black 
spots on its back. These insects live over Winter un¬ 
der leaves, rubbish, etc., and begin their attacks as 
soon as the first two cotyledonous leaves make their 
appearance. They are very active, and if the vines 
are neglected, even for a day, when the insects are 
numerous, they will be practically destroyed. By 
liberally spreading tobacco dust upon and around the 
plantlets as soon as the insects make their appearance, 
they may be kept off. The dust may be purchased 
from seedsmen. 
Another insect liable to be troublesome is the com¬ 
mon Squash bug. The best remedy is to handpick and 
destroy it in the cooler portions of the day. If boards 
.are placed about the hills, the bugs will take refuge 
under them. 
The eggs, 
which are usu¬ 
ally laid in 
clusters on the 
leaves, are 
also easily de¬ 
stroyed. 
Worms and 
insects do more 
or less damage 
by working in¬ 
to the melon 
where the fruit 
comes in con¬ 
tact with the 
ground. To 
overcome this, 
place some¬ 
thing under the 
f r u i t—s mall 
pieces of board, 
stones, etc. 
Mildew some¬ 
times affects 
both the leaves 
and fruit. For this, spray with the Bordeaux Mixture. 
For a commercial grower, good marketing is as im¬ 
portant as good growing. In the first place, establish 
a market at one point, and that near the home, if 
possible. It may require a year or two, but melons of 
good varieties, well put up, are bound to create a 
market. Also, the fruit can then be picked when 
comparatively ripe, while to be shipped to any dis- 
HOSE BBJ1. NETTED GEM. JENNY LIND. 
GOOD VARIETIES OF MELONS FOR HOME USE OR MARKET. Fig. 135. 
