Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-05-15

MEL ONs.
Who does not love good melon! is a
question which may be asked without
much danger Of hearing any response in
the negative. Were it Otherwise, our
friends on Long Island would not drive
as 1ourishing trade with us as they now
do, in sending us the article by boat loads in
the autumn. Though we have no objec- |
ton TO a free trade like this, we are still
inclined to think that the farmers and
gardeners of the west, can, and should,
raise their own melons; and in this mat
ter, as in others, relating to agriculture,
we go upon the broad ground, that the
farmer who purchases from others articles
that he can readily produce on his own
farm, is not practicing one Of the plainest
principles OF economy, and Of course sue
cess. ...
Melons. to arrive at perfection require
: a sandy soil, with warm and long sum-
meTs. Our soils can in most cases have
the proportion Of sand given them we
may desire but to give the plants heat,
and bring them TO maturity, some forcing
process must be adopted. Where hot
beds exist there is no difficulty in bring
ing the plants forward, but in removing
them, as is sometimes desirable, great
care is necessary or the plants will hil.-
1t would seem therefore to be best that in
all cases the plants should be grown
where they are TO stand. In the former
volumes of the Farmer, several methods
Of forcing melons are recorded, but the
one which seems 10 have been the most
successful was the one recommended by
David Thomas: (See Genesee Farmer
vol. $, page l46)
"MeIons except when cultivated on the light
est soils should be planted Oh ridge as follows:
Dig trenches one two feet deep, aud fill them
level with the surface with fresh manure. Then
cover this with rich sandy soil. 50 as 10 form a
ridge about one foot high and rounded on the
top. Plant the seed on this, and after they have
come up, and become large enough to resist the
attack Of insects, pull up as many as will leave
but one to every two or three feet"
DR.. s. Mosher of Cavuga Co.,, raised
fine crop of melons by covering heap
of three loads of fresh stable manure six
or eight inches with inverted sods, and
then planting the seeds in excavations
made some eighteen inches deep on the
sides OF the mound, the holes for the seeds
being filed with fine rich earth. One
plant produced more than 100 pounds of
melons; one of the FIVE on it weighing
twenty-five pounds. (See Gen. Farmer,
vol A, rage 1917
Mr.. s. Griggs succeeded in raising ex-
cellent water-melons by planting in this
way;
"I dug" says he. 3" ditch three feet wide
and one foot deep, filled it with green horse sta
bic manure, trod il down. and replaced the earth.
The soil was black loan mixed with clay,-l
added sand TO it in each hill. The experiment
succeeded well. had as fine melons as have
ever eaten"
The following is the method recon-
mended by T. S. Pleasants Of Virginia:
Let the highest spot Of ground in the gar
den be selected, and at suitable distances, say
eight feet, dig holes about 80 inches square, and
Is inches deep. In these holes put some well
rotted manure, which must be we'll mixed with
the soil until they are nearly full. The soil should
be entirely clear OF grass grass roots and COM
pleicly pulverzed. A sufficient quantity of the
same kind of earth should then be thrown on, to
raise hill to a moderate height above the ordin-
AIRY level Of the ground. II these directions are
followed, and the subsoil be not Of such tena
cious quality 10 retain much moisture, fair
crop may De reasonably calculated upon"
The markets at Richmond are. supplied
with melons produced in this way; but
excellent as this plan must be where no
iorcing is required, we are inclined TO
think in this latitude the use of fresh ma
pure is TO be preferred as the heat gener-
aiel in The lermenting process is required
to bring the plants forward as rapidly as
possible.
The following is an extract of letter
from member Of Congress at Washing
ton, and appeared in the ". York Farm
en- The soil was alluvial on the Con-
neclicul river: IS 4
Dig the holes for the hills fifteen inches deep,
aud two feet across. Fill them inches with the
peanings Of the garden, and straw or long ma
nnre from the barnyard, and pound il down solid.
- Fill the reminder Of the soil with rich SOIL COW
efing the top with an inch Of fine compost, or
sheep manure, mixing in. say peck OF sand with
the SOIL AGAIN cover the compost with half an
inrh OF soil, 70 this plant the seed bv sticking
them down, thea cover the seeds with a.. inch Of
sand. Recommend the sand ss = prevenf,ve
against che mischief o. The vel ow bug ~ nIan,s
- hill.) The principle on which the ssnd nre-
yeats injury lon the bug, IA that the reflection 80
hoaf from the sand 70 tie un4cr side Of the Leaf
hAtdans n early, and renies il dissgreeable aod
unhl Zoe food The sand should Do kept most
unnl ne seeds come ups"
Col w. Abboii Of Onondaga county.
inlorms ~ that he lpsl year rsised qaan-
thy Of excellent mslons. by adopting me