WATERMELONS 
Plant about 2 Ibs. seed per acre—4 oz. to 100 hills 
GROWING WATERMELONS 
CULTURE—To successfully grow watermelons it is absolutely neces- 
sary 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 rainfall, and the results are usually very good. 
Select a well-drained sandy loam; new sod land is best; and 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 
irrigate tuo often. Plant to a depth of about one inch, shallower early 
when the soil is cold and slightly deeper for late planting. 
’Watermelons are lovers of drouth and the finest melons are grown 
under semi-arid conditions. 
Plow deep and 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 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 sec- 
tions, 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 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 2/3 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 hol- 
low, 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. 
D. D. T. CAUTION. Do not dust or spray using D. D. T. on beans, 
cucumbers, cantaloupes, or watermelons. Use the new Marlate Insec- 
ticide, listed page 87. 
WILL WATERMELONS AND PUMPKIN MIX? 
Each year we receive a number of letters asking if watermelons 
and pumpkins 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 watermelons so that the vines intermingle there is a possibility that 
the watermelons will absorb some of the pumpkin flavor. For this rea- 
son it is also a good plan to keep watermelon fields free of weeds as 
certain of these will have effect on the flavor. 
See page 90 for Special Prices to Market Growers 
45 
