
36 
GROWING CANTALOUPES 
Plant 2 Ibs. per acre in drills or 1 Ib. if hand planted in 
hills 1 oz. to 100 hills 
% The land should be a sandy loam, avoiding both too sandy and 
too heavy soil. If possible, do not plant where cantaloupes were 
grown previously within three or four years. A heavy oat stubble 
plowed under is one of the first locations. Bean land is usually 
very good. The first year after alfalfa or clover is not good as a 
rule because the melons grow too soft and are irregular in size, 
shape, netting and quality. The second year after alfalfa or clover 
is usually very good. Fall plowing is best, followed in the spring 
with several discings. 
If planted in hills the rows should be 5 to 6 feet apart each way. 
Cross cultivating improves the yield, quality and earliness. Plant 
ten to twelve seeds to the hill about 2 inches deep and thin to one 
or two plants when they have 5 or 6 leaves. If drilled in rows 5 to 
6 feet apart thin to one plant every 3 or 4 feet. Hoe carefully 
around the plants; keep free from weeds and cultivate often. We 
have found 8 or 10 cultivations at least should be given and more 
would be better. 
After the vines reach so far across the row that you can no 
longer cultivate, the ends of the vines should be carefully turned 
back and an additional cultivation given. We use small 4 wheeled 
tractors with bean harvester knives and vine turners for laying by. 
Cultivate shallow close to the plants and deeper farther away, deep 
cultivation will cut the roots and damage the crop. 
The main spread of roots is on the harder ground under the 
plowed ground. For this reason plowing should be 8 to 10 inches 
deep and cultivation by knives or sweeps rather than shovels. 
If under irrigation, cantaloupes should be watered regularly 
about every two weeks. Early in the season furrows should be 
close to the plants and water should be allowed to run just long 
enough to moisten the soil beyond the plant row. Later furrows 
may be farther away from the plants. Do not allow the water to 
remain in the furrows too long so that the soil becomes water- 
logged. Continue irrigating through the ripening season to keep 
the vines thrifty. 
D:.°D: T. CAUTION. Do: not dust’ or spray using DW Dod 
beans, cucumbers, cantaloupes, or watermelons. Use the new 
Marlate Insecticide, listed page 81. 
Use a good nicotine dust to control aphis. 
; Our business has been closely associated with the cantaloupe 
industry. Since the first green fleshed Rocky Fords were shipped 
from our home town, our catalog has carried the continued story 
of the improvement in varieties of shipping cantaloupes. 
We are determined that our cantaloupe seed be of the best 
obtainable. 
MARKET ONLY GOOD MELONS 
With all cantaloupes the customer develops an appetite and buys 
regularly if the melons are always good, but poor melons destroy 
the desire for melons and those who would be good buyers, turn to 
peaches and other fruit instead. 
Don’t pick cantaloupes green. 
Don’t pick cantaloupes from rusted vines. 
Don’t pick cantaloupes from aphis covered vines. 
Don’t pick cantaloupes from vines diseased with mildew. 
Don’t pack melons you would not buy to eat yourself if you were 
the customer. 
Don’t buy cheap seed. You cannot afford to risk your season’s 
work and the use of your land and chance a poor return which may 
be the result of using poor seed. 
"Plant seeds of known origin.'' 
We grow the cantaloupe seed we sell. 
D. V. Burrell Seed Growers Co., Rocky Ford, Colo. 

