P ROBABLY no delicacy of the 
garden offers more than the 
muskmelon. Other vine crops, too, 
cucumbers, watermelons and summer 
and winter squashes, are all very desirable, and, although these 
things are easier to grow than good melons or canteloupe, com¬ 
plete failure is often experienced. 
However, some of the common pitfalls in growing vine crops 
can be successfully guarded against, and there are conditions 
favorable to growth which usually can be given if one knows 
what they are. The curcubits, while they differ from one an¬ 
other in some ways, have many points in common, and as a group 
are quite distinct, not only in their habits of growth, but in their 
requirements, from the other vegetables of the garden. They 
are all very warm blooded and more exacting as far as condi¬ 
tions of warmth are concerned than any of the other things, with 
the possible exception of peppers and egg-plants. In addition to 
this, for proper development they require a great amount of 
moisture. Hot weather and moisture are not usually both to be 
had at the same time of the season. This constitutes at the out¬ 
set one of the difficulties of growing the curcubits. It is a diffi¬ 
cult problem, because steps to combat it must be taken, not when 
the lack of moisture begins to make itself felt a month or so after 
planting, but weeks, or even a year, before. Plenty of humus in 
the soil is necessary for most garden crops. It is doubly so for the 
vine crops. To supply this, the professional grower depends upon 
a green or stubble crop plowed under, or upon a generous dressing 
of ratber light manure. So, if possible, pick out a spot in your 
garden where sod was plowed under a year ago, or where in the 
fall or winter you had some catch crop, such as buckwheat or rye, 
growing after an early crop had been taken off. Whether you 
use something of this sort or manure for your humus, it is best to 
have the ground plowed or spaded up quite early in the spring, so 
that this vegetable matter will already have begun to decompose 
by the time you plant the seeds. After the ground is turned up it 
should be harrowed or raked over at once until the surface is fine 
and smooth, in order that all the moisture may be saved by the 
dust mulch created on the surface. 
The various vine plants are alike also in many of their troubles. 
They are particularly subject to the attack of several kinds of 
bugs and beetles, especially during the early stages. For these 
troubles, also, you must make preparations ahead. Therefore, we 
might as well talk them over right now before we discuss planting 
seeds. The two most pernicious are the striped cucumber beetle 
and the squash bug. The latter is likely to confine his attention 
to the several sorts of squashes and pumpkins. There are a num¬ 
ber of things which are apparently very distasteful to these bugs 
which can be used on the plants and about the hill. One of the 
best of these is tobacco dust. (But get the genuine article.) 
Where but a few hills are grown, bone flour, land plaster or fine, 
sifted, dry, wood ashes will answer the purpose. Any of the 
above are good for using while the plants are quite small—the 
time when the bugs are most likely to do serious injury. 
As the plants get larger, if one has a compressed-air sprayer— 
as every gardener should have — it will take but a few minutes, 
once in ten days, to go over the vines with Bordeaux-arsenate of 
lead mixture or equivalent prepara¬ 
tion. Sometimes the melon lice put 
in an appearance, and in case they 
do, spray thoroughly with kerosene 
emulsion at once. Also pull up and destroy carefully any plants 
which may have become badly infested. Kerosene emulsion will 
also be effective against the young squash bugs or “nymphs," 
which do their injury by sucking — but it must be applied thor¬ 
oughly to the under side of the leaves. 
A statement which one frequently sees in connection with the 
culture of melons and squashes is that the soil for them should be 
“very rich.” This is quite true, but very indefinite. The condi¬ 
tion, the availability of the plant food in the soil, makes the dif¬ 
ference rather than the amount of it. All these plants are very 
rapid growers when they are making normal development, and 
need their food in a hurry. Only available fortns should be used. 
If manure, it should be particularly fine, old and well rotted up. 
If commercial fertilizers are used, the nitrogen should be in an 
immediately available form. A mistake frequently made is to put 
all the manure or fertilizer directly in the hills where the seeds are 
to be planted. It is much better to broadcast the greater part of 
it. Then a handful or so of some effective but safe fertilizer, 
such as a mixture of cotton-seed meal and bone flour, can be 
mixed in the bottom of each hill before planting, to give the plants 
a strong start. 
There are two methods of planting. Usually the seed is sown 
directly where the plants are to grow outside. But by using 
strawberry boxes or paper pots, filled with a light, rich compost, 
they may be sown under glass three or four weeks before all 
danger of the last late frosts will be past, and then set in the hills 
or rows prepared for them. The advantages of this plan are 
several. The crop is forwarded two or three weeks, and, being 
well started when set out, the plants are much better suited to 
withstand the attacks of insects if these appear. All of the cur¬ 
cubits are difficult to transplant, and, until the advent of the square 
paper pots and dirt bands, which may now be bought so cheaply, 
there was no easy method of starting them. With these simple 
contrivances it is a simple matter. They pack together tightly, so 
that they do not dry out as quickly as clay pots, and there is much 
more room for root development. 
Where the seed is sown outside no definite rules can be followed 
with any assurance of success. In general, they should be planted 
as soon as warm weather is assured — when the oak trees are well 
out in leaf. But a few cold, rainy days will be pretty sure to rot 
the seed, especially if it is covered a half inch or so deep; and, on 
the other hand, if a period of very dry or windy weather is en¬ 
countered it is pretty sure to dry out if it is not planted half an 
inch or more deep. The loss of the seed doesn't amount to much, 
as it costs next to nothing; but the delay and the uncertainty of 
having any better success with the second sowing are serious. 
Here is a method which it will pay to use, especially with musk- 
melons and cucumbers. Squashes and watermelons are easier to 
get up. Take half the seeds you expect to plant, allowing ten to 
fifteen seeds for each hill, and soak over night in lukewarm water. 
Drain the water off the next morning, but keep the seed for a 
( Continued on page 495) 
VI.—MELONS, SQUASHES AND CUCUMBERS 
BY D. R. Edson 
( 456 ) 
