Watermelons 7.33! 2 = 
GROWING WATERMELONS 
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 irri- 
gate too 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 rita 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 sections, leaving the soil rough for the reason that vines 
‘cling to the ground and are not whipped about. 
Cultivate shallow next to, and deeper away from the plants using 
knives or duck feet, being careful not to cut roots. 
It is sometimes desirable to turn the ends of the runners when 
they begin to reach out across the row and give an extra cultiva- 
tion. This should be done carefully so as not to damage the small 
melons. This sometimes results in.a delay in the setting of the fruit. 
Consult your county agent or some successful local grower about 
commercial fertilizer. Here we use side dressing of’ 12-24-12, one to 
two hundred pounds per acre. ; . ah Pee 
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 may produce deformed melons with black ends or shriveled 
ends, even from the best of seeds. Sometimes, due to unfavorable 
growing conditions, the first set will produce some ill shaped or 
blackened melons. These should be pulled from the vines, allowing 
more shapely melons to set on. Watermelons sometimes produce 
black-end fruits on ground following sorghums. 
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, growing color indicates a green melon; a dull green indi- 
cates ripeness. Soe 
D. D. T. CAUTION. Do not dust or spray using. D. D. T. on, beans, 
cucumbers, cantaloupes, or; watermelons. Use *Marlate Insecticide . 
et eto! of cucumber beetles and a good nicotine dust for killing 
aphis. 
-OUR WATERMELON ‘SEED 
@® We have been growing Watermelon Seed since 1896 and while 
we grow a large acreage at the present time practically all of it 
goes direct to commercial growers. We have watched the principal 
growing sections and the markets to know the varieties most in’ 
demand;and those of the highest quality: cscs ea ; mn 
Our 1904 catalogue listed the popular varieties of that day. Kleck-. 
ley Sweet is the only one of those listed in ‘this ‘catalogue. The new 
Darlington is one of the best for local market and home garden. 
Florida Giant (Texas Giant) is now the most popular shipping melon. ».: 
with southern growers. Dixie Queen is being used to: some extent: 
‘also Blacklee. Western shippers prefer Klondike. Oregon uses the 
Striped Klondike Blue,:Ribbon and California, the:Barly?:Black ‘4: 
Seeded type. Burrell’s: Grey is the.best of. the grey rind-melons and ....|. 
we have not yet found a strain of Watson equal to our Red Heart 
Watson. Don’t overlook the New Congo as it will probably become’ ' 
the most popular shipping: variety‘in the south within the’next few 
years. rs r fete 
ie 
j 
‘ 
D. V. Burrell Seed. Growers Co., Rocky Ford,: Colo. 41 
