ROCKY FORD, COLORADO 
Planting - Culture - Harvesting Directions 
The cantaloupe thrives best on a well- 
drained sandy loam soil. Alfalfa sod, plow- 
ed under in the fall, has shown the best 
results in the West and Southwest, fre- 
quently doubling the yield. Clover sod in 
sections where it is grown, and cow peas 
in the South have shown like results. Well- 
rotted barnyard manure has generally giv- 
en better results than commercial fertiliz- 
ers. The cantaloupe seems to produce bet- 
ter on a medium fertile soil. If too much 
fertilizer is used the vines grow very rank 
and the melons are likely to be over-sized 
and poorly netted, and flesh coarse and of 
poor quality. If planted on poor soil the 
melons are undersized and yield generally 
light. The size of the melon is undoubtedly 
governed by the fertility of the soil as well 
as by climatic conditions. Crop rotation is 
essential to retain the necessary plant food, 
and is a safeguard against disease, infect- 
ed soil and insect pests. 
In preparing the soil, ever bear in mind 
that the cantaloupe should be planted and 
cultivated as a garden crop rather than a 
field crop, as IT WILL NOT RESPOND 
readily to the rough treatment usually giv- 
en to general field crops. The grower will 
be well repaid for the extra labor and time 
consumed in the thorough preparation of 
the soil. 
Select, if possible, suitable land, sloping 
to the south or east. Such land warms up 
quickly in the early spring and is prefer- 
able where an early crop is desired. 
If plowing is done in the fall, plow from 
8 to 10 inches in depth; if in the spring 
plow only as deep as the land has been 
plowed before. When plowing under alfalfa 
and like crops, fall plowing is the best and 
under most conditions shows best results. 
In irrigated districts, if the land is dry, 
irrigate by flooding before plowing, using 
care not to plow while land is wet, nor yet 
too dry; for either will prevent reducing 
the soil to the mellow, ashy condition so 
essential to the best results and the easy 
cultivation of the crop. If the land was in 
cultivation the previous .year, discing is 
very beneficial, as it not only mixes any 
compost or manure that may have been 
applied, but insures a deep pulverized seed 
bed. 
The land should be prepared and allowed 
to settle a few days before planting. If crop 
is to be grown by irrigation, select slope of 
the land so it can be irrigated without 
washing or flooding. 
Do not plant near any other vine crop. 
Do not plant more than one season in suc- 
cession on the same soil. Plant as soon as 
danger of frost is past. When the plant has 
from five to six leaves and danger from 
beetles is past, thin to one plant about two 
feet apart. Thinning should be governed by 
strength of the soil. If the plants are left 
too thick on rather poor soil, many of the 
melons will likely be small; on the other 
hand, if thinned too closely on rich soil, 
over-sized melons will be the result. 
Give frequent shallow cultivation as long 
as possible to get between the rows with- 
out disturbing the vines or roots. Keep a 
fine dust mulch to aid in retaining mois- 
ture. The cantaloupe, to produce best re- 
sults, should have a continuous healthy 
growth. The slightest check or setback in 
growth will retard the early development 
and reduce the yield. 
The cantaloupe’ begins ripening on the 
inside. When ripening process begins it re- 
quires some experience to tell from the 
outward appearance when it is ready to 
pick, the change being so slight that the 
inexperienced will scarcely detect it. The 
skin between the netting gradually as- 
sumes a peculiar gray cast; the netting 
becomes more prominent and of a silvery 
whitish color. On close examination, a 
slight crack about the stem will be found, 
and with a little pressure on the stem with 
the thumb or forefinger it should part or 
slip from the melon without breaking the 
stem or melon, leaving a smooth, natural 
cup where detached. When picked at this, 
the proper stage, the melon has its natur- 
al sweetness and flavor, and if carefully 
handled, with proper refrigeration and 
good transportation service, will carry to 
most any market in first-class condition. 
The stem will not slip from a green melon 
but will break or force a piece out of the 
melon, and if picked in this manner are 
likely to be of inferior quality, without 
flavor, and show up in a wilted, spongy 
condition on the market. 
The picking should start_early in the 
morning while the melons are cool, yet 
in case the vines are wet from heavy dews 
or rains, it is not advisable to start picking 
before vines are fairly dry, as tramping 
and handling when wet is injurious to the 
vines and melons picked and handled while 
wet lose much of their fine appearance, 
being more or less covered with mud, and 
the netting becomes badly ruffled. 
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