The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1873-04-24
Agricultural.
Culture of the Nutmeg Melon.


The melon will adapt itself to O varie-
ty Of soils, but, if possible, | would
select n warm, sandy loan, with q
southern exposure. New land, or sod
land plowed in the fall, is just the
thing. If the fall preparation has been
neglected, get at it as soon rs the spring
opens, and make deep and Thorough
work OF the blowing and pulverization
Apply well-rotted barn-yard manure
broadcast if the soil is not naturally
rich, There will be time enough fol
two or three plowings before planting.
This is II first axiom thorough pre-
paration before planting, No one
ought to expect success without this,
The rows should be marked out both
ways, from six to eight feet apart. ON
practice is, if seed is plenty, to put if
teen or twenty seeds in one hill, TO pro-
vide against loss, but finally, when they
have taken on the rough leaves, we thin
to about three plants TO the hill. About
this time a sprinkling Of guano, or gu
perphoBphates, if you can get a good
article, about the hill will cause the
plants to push rapidly, and will consld-
erably increase the product. We have
invariably found that early paintings 20
the best, although the danger Of los
ing plants is considerable; but always
having abundance of seed, we do not stop
for this, and commence planting out OF
doors sOon after the first Of April. Our
earliest paintings, Of course, are made
in the hOtbed or cold frame, say three
or four weeks before it would be safe to
set out Of doors. | notice that Mr..
Henderson and other good authorities
recommend planting ON sod. We used
TO do this, but do 30 no more. There
are ut least two other methods that
succeed better. Plant in the rich earth
of the hotbed, and when the time has
come to set them IN the open ground
you are provided with the cutters, some
eight inches in diameter, with which,
after thorough watering, you cut out
the melon hills, M the housewife cuts
ont her biscuit and carry them on Il
shovel to the place Of setting near by.
This il far better than the sod, but
there is II better practice still, Plant
in rich earth in strawberry boxes, and
at the right time plant box and all. If
you mean to grow melons for the mar
ket, it is importhat to start as early az
possible; but from necessity our main
planting il in open ground. After
planting, the mole IL apt to pillow
through the ground and ruin the crop.
| know no better way, if you can not
Mr.. Mole, than to pillow as closely
TO the hill as you can on each side,
throwing the furrow away from the hill.
When the plants are up, the striped
bug is almost sure to go for them, and
it takes but Il few hours to utterly de-
every plant, when they come in
force, as they are accustomed to do.
But Paris green, mixed with twenty
parts of flour or plaster, has never failed
with me to stop their ravages, Years
ago we were trying all varieties now
We plant but two sorts, and that about
III proportion OF ten to one. We plant
ten acres of the Alton Nutmeg and one
Of Long Persian, which is the CaSaba Of
the catalogues. The latter is IL late
melon, and ono that | like to eat; but
its shape being long, it does not take in
the market except where we'll known.
If knew of any thing better than these
which have named, | would certainly
find n place for them. Our melons usu-
ally commence ripening about the last
of July, from the outdoor paintings,
and | have known them to continue to
hold on till the middle of October. |
have grown 1000 melons to the acre
and sold them for about 800; but this
Is more money than you can ordinarily
get for an acre of melons. We ship in
two-bushel crates, holding from cigh-
teen to twenty-four to II crate. The
highest price we ever received was ten
dollars per crate of two dozen; the low
est price, just about nothing at all but
ordinarily the crop pays moderately
well, and for five years has been IL spe-
cialty IN the Hill Farm, and is likely
SO to cOntlnuc.-O. l.. Barter in conn.
try GcntEcmdn.