22 
Colorado Experiment Station 
toward perfecting the latter type at Rocky Ford section and the 
type of melon grown there is well known throughout the coun¬ 
try. 
The muskmelon is naturally a tropical plant and requires a 
long, warm season for its best development. For this reason, we 
cannot expect to produce as profitable a crop in the northern part 
of the state as at Rocky Ford, but some should be grown for 
home use. A warm, sandy loam is the best soil for growing can¬ 
taloupes. Such land on which alfalfa has grown for two or three 
years is probably the ideal in this climate. The soil should be in 
the best of tilth and should be well, but not too heavily, fertilized 
with stable manure. 
Rows are laid ofif 6 feet apart' each way and 8 to 10 seeds 
planted at each intersection. The seed are covered to a depth of 
about 1 inch. 
Thorough and frequent cultivation should be given. During 
the early stages of the crop, the ground should be stirred rather 
deeply and close to the plants, but as the vines spread cultivation 
should be more shallow and further away. Light, frequent irri¬ 
gations have proven to be of more advantage than heavy soak- 
ings given at considerable intervals. 
Muskmelons are said to have three stages in three days— 
green, ripe and rotten. While this is exaggerating the actual facts 
to some extent, the time when the melons are in the best of condi¬ 
tion for picking is very short. If harvested too early or too late, 
the quality will not be up to the standard. It is hard to describe 
just the proper stage at which the melons should be picked. There 
is a slight change of color in the interstices of the netting which 
can be recognized by an experienced picker, and the melon ^^slips” 
from the vine, that is, the stem does not break off when the melon 
is pulled, but separates easily from it. 
Varieties ,—Early Watters and Rust-Resistant Pollock (both 
Rocky Ford varieties). Emerald Gem, Osage Extra Early Hack¬ 
ensack, and Honey Dew. 
ONIONS 
The growing of onions is an important industry in several 
sections of the State. They can be grown in practically all parts 
of the State for home use and for local markets and in some dis¬ 
tricts they may be grown with profit for disant markets. 
Onions may be grown from seeds or sets. The latter are more 
often used in growing early green onions, while mature onions 
are usually grown from seed. In the latter case, two methods may 
be employed. By the first method, the seed are planted in early 
-A-pril in rows 14 to 18 inches apart. They are sown thickly and cov- 
