Bulletin 62. 
POLLINATION. 
16 
The number of flowers born by a single melon vine is 
something astonishing. This is no less striking than the 
disparity existing between the male and female flowers. An 
account was kept on six vines from June 27, the time of 
blooming, until July 13, at which time the vines had become 
so interlapped that individual vines could not be distin¬ 
guished. 
The table shows the dates on which the flowers were 
counted and the number of flowers that had formed at each 
time. The total number of male flowers formed was 3,075 
and the number of female was 253; an average to each hill 
of 512 male and 42 female flowers to July 13: 
No. of Male No. of Female 
Date. 
Flowers. 
Flower 
June 27 
203 
I 
June 30 
I I 
July 3 
474 
28 
July 7 
755 
95 
July 10 
660 
87 
July 13 
645 
It must be remembered that the vines continue to bloom 
profusely until late in August and melons may ripen that 
are set about the middle of August. 
Twenty ripe melons to each vine is considered a heavy 
yield. In the above table we have more than 40 female 
flowers (to each hill) produced in the first two weeks of 
the blossoming period. 
The first blossom appeared on June 27, and the first 
ripe melon was taken August 11. It takes about six weeks 
from the time of the setting for the fruit to ripen. 
Some farmers become alarmed when the first flowers that 
are formed drop without setting fruit, but the figures reveal 
the fact that the most of these are not fruit bearing flowers. 
INSECT PESTS OF THE CANTALOUPE. 
Flea beetle —This is a small black beetle that devours 
the leaf soon after the melons are up. Dusting the plants 
with air slaked lime in early morning when they are damp, 
or spraying them with a mixture of 1 lb. of Paris green and 
1 lb. of lime to 150 gallons of water, will remedy the 
trouble. 
Striped cucumber beetle —This little striped insect is 
familiar to all, appearing in the spring soon after the melons 
