Muskmelon 
CULTURE—1 oz. of seed for 50 hills; 1 lb. for 1 acre. 
Sandy soil, well enriched with manure, is the best for 
melons. Have the hills 4 by 5 feet, dropping 10 seeds in each 
hill, so as to feed mice and cutworms and still have a good 
stand. Leave only three strongest plants in each hill. When 
the plants start to vine we fertilize the field with 300 lbs. of 
cotton seed meal to the acre. Open shallow furrows between 
the rows, scatter the meal moderately thick and cultivate 
same in the ground. This hastens the crop to maturity. The 
melons are more heavily netted and almost free from culls. 
In case of a cold spell with plants up early in the spring, 
go over the patch with a hoe and cover up the young plants 
with dirt and remove the dirt when danger of frost is past. 
To make Muskmelon growing a paying proposition plant 
the seed as early as in your judgment is safe. While in the 
“baby” stage, the plants are liable to be badly injured if not 
ruined by a cold beating rain. All growers know these cold 
spring rains and the resulting damage. A beating rain de- 
stroys the thread-like roots of the young plants, severely 
checking them in growth. In many cases the plants “come 
out of it” but to expect an early crop of melons is out of 
question. To get an early crop of melons examine your 
plants after every rain and replant whenever you see that 
the plants were damaged. You cannot expect an early crop 
from plants that have been checked in their growth. 
Starting melons in pots or berry boxes for transplanting 
into the field, does not work. You will NEVER get an early 
crop of melons that way. 
Which Is ‘the Best Muskmelon 
The best and most popular is Hale’s Best. The best large 
sized melon to grow for local markets is Golden Queen. 
The spiciest, sweetest and finest of ALL muskmelons is the 
old Rockyford. But it is a late maturing melon and in too 
many sections it cannot be successfully grown. NEW MUSK- 
MELONS. New muskmelons come out every year by the 
dozen. All these new ones are highly recommended but later 
it “develops” that some of the new ones were badly over- 
praised. We do not list all new melons preferring to “wait 
and see.” 
HOW TO TELL WHEN A MUSKMELON IS RIPE—The 
net on a ripe melon is hard, the net on unripe melons is soft, 
so that it can be easily rubbed off. 
Muskmelons are rich in health-giving vitamines. Of the 
total solids in a ripe muskmelon about 70% are invert sugars. 
Muskmelons should not be wrapped preparatory to a 
long distance shipment, because when wrapped they are 
slower in cooling and do not retain their edible qualities as 
long as when shipped unwrapped. 
FOR LOCAL MARKET muskmelons are gathered when on 
a “full slip,” when the melons are dead ripe and “slip” off the 
vines. 
*  MUSKMELON CRANSHAW 
Says one of the oldest large muskmelon growers in Cali- 
fornia: Cranshaw melon is the best thing I ever ate, simply 
indescribable, it is so luscious. It’s salmon pink flesh is 
extraordinarily thick and has a sweetness and flavor that so 
far has never been approached by any other melon. 
Cranshaw is a melon with Cassaba blood init. It is egg- 
shaped with a mottled green and gold skin. No netting, it is 
smooth except for very slight wrinkling. The appearance of 
the melon as well as its high quality makes it a melon worth 
while growing. However we recommend Cranshaw only for 
sections where there is not much humidity. In parts where 
rainfall is heavy, Cranshaw is not the melon to grow, also it 
is not a first rate shipping melon. Average weight 6 pounds 
per melon. Pkt. 10c; oz. 20c; Ib. $2.20. 
MUSKMELON HEARTS OF GOLD (88 days) 
Same as Hoodoo. A very popular, round melon, size 7 by 
5 inches, weight two pounds per melon. Moderately netted, 
ribs fairly distinct, pink flesh, very thick, sweet and spicy. 
First class shipping melon as it remains edible for several 
days. Pkt. 10c; oz. 20c; lb. $2.20. 
COMODORE BEAN is a bean with “great future.” Comodore 
besides being heavily productive, bearing quantities of pods 
of the finest quality over a long period of time, is of an extra- 
ordinary value because the pods cook up in very short time. 
That means saving of fuel, less work and less heat in the 
kitchen during the hot summer days. The quality of the pods 
of Comodore is so high that persons that NEVER did eat 
“string beans” before, DO eat and greatly ENJOY Comodore 
string beans. 5 
DE GIORGI BROTHERS CO. 


HALE’S BEST No. 36 (86 days) 
The original H. B. lacked quality, its value was earliness 
and appearance. Since then numerous strains were developed. 
The strain we offer is the BEST of all, the same as used by 
the growers in Imperial Valley, who are very hard to satisfy. 
Their using of our strain of H. B. confirms what we claim, 
namely that it is the best strain, possessing earliness and 
producing melons of large size, beautifully neted with THICK 
sweet flesh. Every pound of seed is hand cut, all melonssnot 
perfect are discarded. No. 36 is desirable for any purpose; 
roadside stand, for shipment by truck, or packing for dis- 
tant markets. Flesh salmon pink, very thick, average weight 
per melon 3 lbs. Pkt. 70c; oz. 20c; lb. $2.20. 

BANANA MUSKMELON (94 days) 
The fruit attains a length of 20 to 30 inches, and a diam- 
eter of about 4 inches. Flesh of rich orange color, deep and 
of exquisite flavor. Smells and looks like a gigantic banana. 
This is a very valuable melon and sells in choice city mar- 
kets, 50 cents or more being sometimes demanded for a single 
specimen. 
PERFECTION ORANGE FLESH (92 days) 
At present this is the highest type of Rockyford. 
The melons are almost perfectly round, heavily netted, no 
ribs, the orange flesh is extremely thick, sweet and spicy. 
Heavily productive. First rate shipper, local or long distances. 
Considered by many as the finest melon in existence when 
quality is the first consideration. Pkt. 10c; oz. 20c; Ib. $2.20. 
ROCKY FORD (92 days) 
We have an exceptionally fine strain of this standard 
melon. Heavily and finely netted, weighing about 214 pounds 
each Green fleshed. Highly rust resistant, very heavily 
productive. Pkt. 10c; oz. 20c; Ib. $2.20. 
