1910. THE RURAL, 
GROWING CATALOUPES IN SOUTHERN 
INDIANA. 
The far-famed Rocky Fords have to 
look well to their laurels, for the South¬ 
ern Indiana melon is fast gaining a 
reputation in the eastern markets equal 
to our western product. The Indiana 
melon is just as good in quality, and 
grown on identically the same kind of 
soil as the Rocky Ford. The western 
grower, however, is ahead of the In¬ 
diana man in that he uses care in the 
selection of seed, and never allows a 
“slicker” to go on the market. There is 
one way of telling a good melon, and 
that is by examining the stem end. If 
the melon is good a little clear-looking 
wax will exude. If the wax is not 
there the melon will be lacking in flavor. 
A melon should also be well netted, al¬ 
most round, and the skin just beginning 
to turn a slight yellow. Avoid the long 
oval ones with thin netting and slick 
green-looking stripes between the ridges 
or ribs. They are the “slickers,” and to 
one of discriminating tastes there is a 
vast difference in the two. 
The melon growing section of In¬ 
diana for the most part is in five 
counties, namely: Knox, Daviess, Gib¬ 
son, Sullivan and Jackson, with the 
largest acreage in Knox County in the 
Decker district. Here they are grown 
by the hundreds of acres, and shipped 
out by the trainload, the railroad and 
express companies being taxed to their 
the roots. From this time on it is a 
matter of clean culture and fighting the 
insects, and fungus diseases. In the 
Decker district where the plantations 
are larger this latter item is a more 
serious phase of the question than in 
the smaller localities. In Daviess County 
there are few if any complaints from 
rust or wilt, although no spraying has 
been done. The Experiment Station, 
however, has been doing some valuable 
work along this line in the Decker field, 
and has proven conclusively that the 
net profits in favor of the sprayed vines 
were over $13 per acre. In the Daviess 
County field very little hotbedding is 
done, the seed being planted in hills in 
the open field from the loth of April 
to the loth of May, owing to weather 
conditions. The later plantings are usu¬ 
ally the best, as the vines do not do so 
well if they receive a check in growth 
from cold weather or too much rain. 
Plenty of hot sun and the right amount 
of moisture are the requisites for a good 
stand. 
As to the methods of handling and 
marketing the crop, a number of plans 
are followed. In the Washington, Ind., 
district they have a melon growers’ as¬ 
sociation, and the melons are all sold 
through the association at a cost of 
one cent per basket to the growers, all 
expenses for inspection, telegrams and 
clerical work being paid out of this 
assessment. In the Decker field, there 
are a number of methods of selling. 
Some sell on track and when the car 
A LOAD OF INDIANA MELONS. 
fullest capacity to handle the crop. 
About half the crop is handled by re¬ 
frigerator cars and the remainder go 
by express. The express seems to be 
the most satisfactory way, owing to the 
quick service rendered, and the melons 
arriving in better condition than when 
sent in iced cars. After a melon is once 
taken off the ice it deteriorates rapidly. 
The express rates have also been re¬ 
duced, till now you can land a basket in 
Pittsburg, Pa., for 15 cents, including 
delivery service, other eastern and 
northern points proportionately low. 
The greater part of the crop is handled 
in the regular melon basket, the same 
size and style as the third-bushel peach 
basket. These baskets are so packed 
as to hold 16 melons and there is quite 
a “knack” in learning how to pack them 
so they will fit snugly in the basket 
and the lid fit properly. 
The cultural methods followed in 
raising these Netted Gems are not far 
different from any other ordinary farm 
crop, the principal requirements being a 
rolling sandy soil and good seed. How¬ 
ever, for an early crop they are not 
planted in the field in the beginning, 
but are started in hotbeds', and later 
on taken to the fields and transplanted. 
This is a difficult task, owing to the 
care necessary in transplanting, and I 
have my doubts about the extra care 
and expense justifying the returns re¬ 
ceived from the earlier crop, as they 
are only a week or 10 days earlier than 
the field-grown vines. I have planted 
them in the open field on a cold wet 
clay and picked melons by the middle 
of August, and they are considered late 
on clay, but the earliest I have known 
the hotbed product to be on the market 
is the 17th of July with the season very 
favorable. In hotbedding the seeds are 
planted in the flat-bottomed strawberry 
box and the boxes are placed side by 
side over the bottom of the hotbed. 
The plants are given very close atten¬ 
tion, and eventually only one plant is 
left in the box. While the plants are 
growing the field is being prepared and 
laid off in squares about four feet each 
way. The boxes are then placed at the 
intersection of the furrows and after 
carefully cutting away the thin veneer 
that holds the dirt, it is as carefully 
placed in the ground without disturbing 
is loaded; some sell in the field, and 
others consign their shipments. There 
are always a number of buyers on the 
ground ready to take anything that is 
offered. The method of selling on track 
seems to be the most satisfactory and 
the grower receives the cash right there. 
This eliminates the middlemen’s profits 
that we hear so much about. The 
grower is running no chance of the 
market fluctuations, and the numerous 
buyers keep the prices fair. In regard 
to the profits of the business a num¬ 
ber of growers around the Decker field 
made $200 an acre off their melons, and 
they did not have small patches either, 
but they had from five to 70 and 80 
acres. There is no need to go to the 
gulf coast country or Florida or Canada 
to make money. There are diamonds 
in Southern Indiana soil if you will 
come here and dig for them via the 
melon route. s. h. burton. 
Indiana. 
THE 
HASKIIM 
SHOE 
FOR FARMERS 
All SOL'IO Leather 
Every Lift in heel 
Solid Leather and 
put on by hand. 
Our heels guaran¬ 
teed never to come 
off. The Upper 
Leather and Hot 
tom Stock tho best 
obtainable in tho 
United States. 
The Hankln 
Shoes have 
had a good rep¬ 
utation for 
nineteen years, 
but have 
neve r 
been off- 
ered t o 
the trade 
direct. 
Heights fi, 8 and 
10 inches. Full 
bellows tongue. 
... , . All shoes fitted 
with best Silk and unbleached Linen 8 cord wax thread. 
6-in. llnskiu Hal. . . $ 8.50 
8-in. lluskin ltui. . . . $4.50 
10-in Huskln liul. . . . $5.00 
We guarantee absolute satisfaction. We have never 
had a pair of these shoes returned to us. 
Money or express order to accompany order. 
T1IE II ASKI N 811 OF. MFC. CO., 
llept. A, Stlttviile, Oneida Co., New Yorli, 
NEW-YORKER 
229 
Cutting down your expense is the same as increasing your 
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Household and Farm Articles. 
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today for this interesting free book. Here are some of the articles. What do you need ? 
Sporting Goods, Base Ball and 
Firearms, 
Stoves and Ranges of All Kinds, 
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Wire and Ornamental Fencing. 
Harness and Horse Supplies, 
Heating Plants for Houses, 
House Material Ready to Erect 
Iron and Brass Beds, Mattresses 
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Department “H,” 
325-327 Penn Avenue - PITTSBURGH, PA. 
CPNEi 
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Ij 
This Engine Will Run 
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This wonderful non-freezing Farm Pump Engine meets the widespread demand 
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other distant lands. Thousands of farmers delighted with it. 
A Complete and Perfect Power Plant! 
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. Fuller & Johnson High-Powered Engines. These mighty en 
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f Established > 
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Others applied for. 
FULiE& & JOHNSON MFG.C0.( t>ta i8lo l "‘ d ) 745 Ann St. Madison, Wis. 
Manufacturers of Double-Efficiency Gasoline Engines and Agricultural Implements 
Get 
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GOODELL CO., 14 MaiH Sr., Antrim, New Hampshire. 
PERFECT POTATO 
PLANTING 
Every farmer knows tho importance 
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Dill Ull I Grinding Mills 
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