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. 
GROWING WATERMELONS 
CULTURE—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 dramed 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 irrigate too often. 
Watermelons are lovers of drouth and the finest melons are grown under 
semi-arid conditions. 
Plow deep ^ond harrow 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 imder 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 some¬ 
times results in a delay in the setting of fruit. 
Keep o fii^e 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 imder the hills where the first roots 
will reach it, or it^ will bum the roots and check the growth if not kill 
the plant. 
Some southern growers advocate the use of up to 700 lbs. of fertilizer 
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, grow¬ 
ing color indicates a green melon; a dull green indicates ripeness. 
WILL WATERMELONS AND PUMPKIN MDC? 
Each year we receive a number of letters asking if watermelons and 
pumpkin will mix, also regarding cantaloupe and cucumber, and squash 
and cantaloupe. None of these species will mix with the others except 
some pumpkin with some squash. If pumpkins are grown next to water¬ 
melons so that the vines intermingle there is a possibility that the water¬ 
melons will absorb some of the pumpkin flavor. For this reason it is also a 
good plan to keep watermelon fields free of weeds as certain of these will 
have effect on the flavor. 
52 
D. V. Burrell Seed Growers Co., Rocky Ford, Colo. 
