Watermelons 
Plant 10 to 12 seeds to the hill and 
thin to one plant. About 2 lbs. per 
acre; 4 oz. to one hundred hills. 
I 
GROWING WATERMELONS 
CUIiiTirREi—To successfully grow watermelons it is absolutely 
necessary to have good seed. Then select proper soil and give it proper 
cultivation and irrigation (if under irrigation) and if not prepare the 
land to drain off or retain the moisture, depending upon whether you 
get much or little rain-fall, and the results are usually very good. 
Select a well-drained sandy loam; new sod land is best; any good 
loamy soil which is well drained is good. 
If under irrigation run large furrows 8 feet apart and plant the 
hills well up on the border 8 to 10 feet apart. Be careful not to irri¬ 
gate too often. 
Watermelons are lovers of drouth and the finest melons are grown 
under semi-arid conditions. 
Plow deep and barrow well to make a fine seed bed. A liberal coat 
of stable manure disced in before plowing will increase the size and 
yield. 
If not under irrigation, plow the land in ridges by first throwing 
out a dead furrow, then back-furrowing into the dead furrow four or 
five furrows from each side. Some advocate no harrowing in windy 
sections, leaving the soil rough for the reason that vines cling to the 
ground and are not whipped about. 
Do most of the cultivating with the harrow, setting the teeth 
straight and cultivate deep. 
It is sometimes desirable to turn the ends of the runners when 
they begin to reach out across the row and give an extra cultivation. 
This should be done carefully so as not to damage the small melons. 
This sometimes results in a delay in the setting of fruit. 
Keep a fine mulch on the surface and do not let any weeds grow. 
If you use commercial fertilizer mix it thoroughly with the soil 
around the hill, but do not leave any lumps under the hills where 
the first roots will reach it, or it will burn the roots and check the 
growth if not kill the plant. 
Some southern growers advocate the use of up to 700 lbs. of fer¬ 
tilizer per acre, analyzing about 8% phosphoric acid, 6% potash, 6% 
ammonia, preferably made from nitrate of soda; cotton seed meal, 
dried blood, super phosphate, muriate and sulphate of potash. Use 
two applications, applying % the amount before planting and the 
balance as a side dressing as the vines begin to run. 
Do not plant on land where melons were grown before, even if 
four or five years before, if you have other good land. The vines 
remove something from the soil not readily replaced, and following 
crops usually produce deformed melons with black ends or shriveled 
ends, even from the best of seeds, while the same seed on adjoining 
land, where melons have not been grown before, will produce large 
melons of the finest quality. Sometimes, due to unfavorable growing 
conditions, the first set will produce some ill-shaped or black ended 
melons. These should be pulled from the vines, allowing more shapely 
melons to .set on. 
Do not press on melons to see if they are ripe. This injures them 
and results in very poor melons. A slight thump with the finger, if 
the sound rings clear and a high tone, indicates a green melon; if a 
hollow, low tone, or rather dead tone, the melon is ripe. 
Usually the curl where the melon attaches to the vine dies when 
the melon is ripe. By a little practice you can tell by the color. A 
bright, growing color indicates a green melon; a dull green indicates 
ripeness. 
OUR WATERMELON We have been growing Watermelon Seed since 
1896 and while we grow a large acreage at the 
SEED present time practically all of it goes direct to 
planters, many of whom plant from 20 to 100 
acres or more each. We have watched the principal growing sections 
and the markets to know the varieties most in demand and those of 
the highest quality. 
Nearly all the old varieties have been dropped and in their places 
we offer new improved sorts of better quality, larger and better ship¬ 
pers. All of these are from critically selected stock seeds and each 
is grown well separated from any other variety to prevent mixing. 
Our 1904 catalog listed the popular varieties of that day. Kleckley 
Sweet is the only one of these listed in this catalog. It is one of the 
best for local market and home garden. Dixie Queen and the New 
Early Kansas Melon seem to be taking the place of Stone Mountain 
in the large, round shipping class. Black Seeded Chilean is an excel¬ 
lent small round melon. Western shippers prefer Klondike. Sugar 
content usually averages 3% or 4% more than such melons as 
Kleckley Sweet. Oregon uses the Striped Klondike a .great deal and 
California the Early Small Black Seeded type and Brown Seeded. 
Southern growers should try Burrell’s Klondike: this is a large square 
ended strain of excellent quality. Burrell’s Grey and Burrell’s Red 
Heart Watson will please shippers requiring large, oblong shape melons. 
Burrell’s Grey is the best of the grey rind melons, and in our trials 
we have as yet found no strain of Tom Watson equal to our Red 
Heart Watson. 
»ee Page 91 for Special Prices to Market Growers 
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