OF ONE ACRE. 
71 
prolific, and if carefully grown, the quality is very 
fine. Some prefer the larger melons, which fill the 
basket more quickly, but in my experience the small 
ones have been so much more prolific that the yield 
has been almost double in bulk on the same amount 
of ground. The melon rows should be gone over 
early every morning while ripening, as they should 
not be allowed to become yellow on the vines. The 
quality deteriorates very rapidly when allowed to 
ripen in the hot sun, so that they should be picked 
while still green. The right stage for picking can 
readily be told by examining the point where the 
stem joins the melon; as soon as the stem begins to 
crack away from the melon slightly, or when the 
little drops of red juice form round the base of the 
stem, it is time to pick the melon. When picked, they 
should be put in a cool cellar or spring house until 
wanted for the table. 
Seed may be saved from the largest and finest- 
flavored melons; but if your garden is on heavy soil, 
or if two or three varieties are grown near together, it 
is best to procure fresh seed from some melon-growing 
district every year. 
The ground between the hills should be cultivated 
frequently, as long as it can be done without interfer¬ 
ing with the vine; the soil in the hills should be 
kept loose and drawn up around the vines with the 
hoe. When the vines have grown too long to allow 
the passage of the cultivator, the patch can be kept 
clean by pulling out the large weeds by hand, which 
can be done very quickly after a good rain. The 
dense shade caused by the luxuriant vines will cause 
