The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1872-05-09
Culture Of the Watermelon,

There is no fruit that enters 50
largely into the daily consumption
OF our people as the melon, and none
SO little understood or appreciated
inits culture. A ine-havored water
or muskmolon should not be planted
within one hundred yards of any
other melon or any of the melon
family. Gourds, squashcs and Gu.
cumbers should never be planted in |
the same garden or field with melons,
TOR the volatile nature of the pollen
ofeach will mix, making hybrids of
tho next generation, giving the
melon a gourdy, squashy flavor, and
sotteniug the shell of the gourd.
The melon delights in a sandy soil,
and to have them in their greatest
perfection the ground should be
deeply spaded or subsoil.plowed.
The hills should be about ten feet
apart. The watermelon vine is very
subject to injury from water; heavy
and long-continucd ranis give the
vine the appearance of having been
|, scalded, hence the necessity Of plant
ing on hills instead of on II level,
Holes should be oycavatcd and fill.
cd in with well-rottcd manure, with
mound made over the top at least
twelve inches higher in the center
than outside, On the center Of this
mound plaLt the s%ccd-plant some
six or eight-md when they have
four leaves, thin out to three plants
in II hill. AS the vines begin torun,
branch and bloom, pinch out the
terminal bud, which will throw the
whole vigor Of the vine into the
young fruit just set. AS tho fruit
increases in size take off all but one
to q branch, and allow but ono mel
IN to ripcn on one branch vine. An
overloaded melon vine will produce
but inferior fruit. The c%ultiyator
should bear in mind that the roots
Of melons run just Us fast and far as
the vine extends; that the practice
Of laying back vines over the hills
and blowing deeply between the
hills is very injurious to the crop.
Tho melon ground cannot be broken
too deep before the vines begin to
ran; but H. is II positive injury to the
vine for the plow to go three inches
below the surface ovor which the
vino has already run. Great ear,
should be taken in handing the
vines when working them with the
hoe. For every tendriI broken or
bruised ON the vine the fruit is re.
tardcd in its maturity. Keep the
ground clean around the vines, and
~ fast rs the vine cIongates abrauch
peg it down, so that the winds may
not blow them about and break them.
If the striped bug is troublesome
mix one portion Of guano or strong
hen manure to two Of gypsum, and
dust over the vines while the dew is
on, and the bugs will quickly depart.
The first melon that sets ON the vine
will mature in four weeks from the
time of setting; the second settings
in about three weeks. ASthcScason
advances they will mature in les,
time than thlcn weeks. Fine crops
Of melons arc made by using brush
for the vines to run ON and cling to.
The seed Of the first melon that
4, ripons should be saved for next sea.
g. sons planting, provided tHat it
'"'yrcw where no other member oithc
an melon family could i%mprcgnato it.
nlcavy crops Of melons may be pro.
So duccd by watering every alternate
with II liquid made Of the clean
ing Of hen rOosts mixed with WAFER.
and soaked until the water itrment.
cd. Half II pint was poured ON each
hill at II time, and the offensive odor
drove away nearly all the bugs.