WATERMELON 
Plant 1 pound per acre. 
In the garden plant | packet to 75 feet of row for a family of 3 or 4 people. 
Culture. Watermelons may be grown on nearly all kinds of 
Florida soils that have good drainage, but rolling, sandy pine 
land is preferred. In general, new land is best for this crop in 
order to avoid diseases. The field should be checked off, plant- 
ing in hills 8 feet apart each way or 7 by 9 feet. Seed should 
be planted 1% to | inch deep, and plants should be thinned to 
2 or 3 plants per hill when they are still small and when all 
danger of frost is past, later thinning to | plant per hill for best 
results. ‘he most successful growers apply a 4-7-5 fertilizer 
mixture about a week before planting the seed. A second appli- 
cation may be made if necessary when the vines begin to run. 
The fertilizer should be worked into the hills before planting at 
the rate of two pounds per hill, or 800 pounds per acre. The 
first planting of watermelons for an early crop in Florida should 
be made about January Ist and successive plantings may be 
made up to about the middle of February in Central and South 
Florida. Plantings in North Florida are made 2 or 3 weeks 
later. For earlier melons use Hotkaps. (See page 79.) 
The leaf, stem and fruit disease of watermelons, anthracnose 
as well as gummy stem blight, the spores of which diseases are 
frequently present on melon seed, are killed by treating the 
seed with “Spergon Seed Protectant.” If weather conditions 
are favorable for blight and anthracnose, spray with Dithane, 
Parzate or neutral coppers. (See pages 55, 57, 59 and 66.) 
For pollination of watermelons, see second paragraph under 
cucumber culture—page 16. 
The number of days after each variety indicates the time 
from seed planting to ripe fruit. 
Prices quoted are postpaid. 
Write for special prices on larger quantities. 
DIXIE QUEEN (White Seeded). (90 days.) This variety 
possesses all the good qualities demanded by commercial grow- 
ers, namely, size, color, flavor, shipping quality and high yield. 
The almost round fruits average 32 pounds. The flesh is of a 
most attractive, rich, bright-red color. It is solid, with very 
few small white seeds. The outer skin is light green, striped 
and blotched with dark green. The rind, although thin, is 
tough and does not bruise easily, making it an ideal shipping 
melon. It is one of the sweetest-flavored and highest quality 
melons grown. This variety is sometimes, but quite erroneous- 
ly called ““White Seeded Cuban Queen.” Because of its many 
desirable features, Dixie Queen has become one of the leading, 
standard commercial varieties of Florida, and because of its 
high edible quality it is also grown extensively for home use. 
Pkt. 10c; 0z. 20c; 14 Ib. 50c; 1 Ib. $1.75 
5 to 25 Ibs. $1.65 per Ib. 

The new Congo (U.S.D.A. 4640) (Anthracnose-Resistant) Watermelon 
WILT RESISTANT DIXIE QUEEN (Large seeded strain) 
(new). (90 days.) This new strain of Dixie Queen is not only 
highly resistant to Fusarium Wilt, but also possesses better 
edible and market qualities than other strains of this variety. 
The fruits average larger size, are much more uniform in size, 
shape and color, and are of higher edible quality than regular 
strains of Dixie Queen. The melons cut redder and ship better 
than the regular standard strain. Seeds are about 50% larger 
in size, and the rind has more distinct white stripes than the 
regular strain. This strain being resistant to wilt can be grown 
on the same soil year after year, and like Blacklee is not only 
valuable for commercial production, but also for home gardens 
where wilt is usually a very serious factor. We highly recom- 
mend this new improved strain of Dixie Queen. 
Seed supply very limited. 
Pkt. 10c; 0z. 20c; 14 Ib. 60c; 1 Ib. $2.00 
5 to 25 Ibs. $1.90 per Ib. 
BLACKLEE (Wilt-Resistant). (100 days.) This variety grows 
vigorously, is very resistant to Fusarium Wilt disease, and pro- 
duces a very abundant crop of uniform, medium size, elongated, 
blocky, very symmetrical and smooth, attractive appearing 
melons with a dark rich green colored rind, which rind is very 
thin but hard, tough and of good carrying quality, making it a 
good long distance shipper and good keeper. The flesh is an 
attractive bright red with medium size black seed, of excellent 
flavor and fine texture and delicious, crisp, sweet eating qual- 
ity. The melons cut solid, are free from stringiness, and have 
a delicate, distinctive flavor. The melons will, under good 
growing conditions, average 34 pounds, an ideal size for ship- 
ping. They run very uniform and are exceptionally heavy for 
their size. By pruning to two melons per vine, the size can be 
somewhat increased, and the melons will ripen several days 
earlier. In addition to disease resistance, this variety possesses 
about all the desirable characteristics one could wish for in an 
ideal shipping, local market and home garden variety. 
Pkt. 10c; 0z. 15c; 14 Ib. 45c; 1 Ib. $1.50 
5 to 25 Ibs. $1.40 per Ib. 
CONGO (U.S.D.A. 46-40) (Anthracnose resistant) (news). (90 
days.) This outstanding new disease-resistant variety was de- 
veloped and recently introduced by the U.S.D.A. Southeastern 
Vegetable Breeding Laboratory, Charleston, S$. C. It is the only 
shipping variety known today which is resistant to anthracnose 
disease. Although it is not immune to the disease, it should be 
given protection like other varieties. It promises to be of ex- 
ceptional importance not only because of its anthracnose 
resistance, but also because of its exceedingly hard, tough 
rind which resists breakage and bruising in transit. For this 
reason railroad men and buyers are very much interested in it. 
In addition to these two good qualities, it possesses many other 
desirable features. It is an enor- 
mous yielder of large size melons, 
under good growing conditions 
ranging from 32 to 40 pounds. 
Similar in size and shape to Garri- 
son but having a darker green 
rind with darker green stripes. It 
is free of the Garrison tendency 
to produce guord-necks. Flesh of 
attractive bright red color, of ex- 
cellent quality and flavor, ripen- 
ing well out to the rind, with 
very small white seed and very 
attractive interior appearance. 
This is the most promising new 
variety of watermelon for ship- 
ment yet introduced, and it has 
a big future. A few cars shipped 
out of Florida last season topped 
the market. 
Seed supply extremely limited 
Pkt. 15 oz. 45c; 14 Ib. $1.25; 
1 Ib. $4.50; 
5 to 25 Ibs. $4.40 per Ib. 

36 

For Best Results Plant Kilgore’s “Bred-Rite” Seeds 
