Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-01-21
Bnoxrjlle a9'eFklg Chronicle.
FIELD AND FARM.
Cnlture of the Nntmeg Melen.
FROM the Country Gentleman,l


The Melon will adapt itself to variety
of soils. but if possible, it will select n
warm sandy loan, with southern expo
sure. New land, or sod land plowed in the
fall, is lust the thing. If the fall pTepara-
tion has been neglected, get at it rs soon as
the spring opens, and make deep ana
thorough work of the blowing ana pul,
verization. Apply well rotted Datnyaru
manure broadcast if the soil is not naturally
rich. There will be time enough for two
or three pIowings before planting. This is
orr first aXiom-thOTOugh prepdrdttoR oe-
fore 3)lnntinq. No one ought to expect
success without this.
The rows should be marked out both
ways, from six to eight feet apart. Our
nractice is. if seed is plenty, to put fifteen
or twenty seeds in hill, to provide against
loss, but finally, when they have taken on
the rough leaves, we thin to about three
nIants TO the hill. About this time a
sprinkling of guano, or superphosphates,
if you can get a good article, about the
hill, will cause the plants to push rapidly,
and will considerably increase the pro-
we have invariably found that early
paintings 90 the best, although the danger
of losing plants is considerable; but al
WAYS having abundance OF seed, we DO not
stop for this, and commence planting out
bf doors soon after the first OF April. our
earliest paintings, OF course, are maue IN
the hot bed or cold frame, say three or tour
weeks before il would be safe to set 1t out
of doors.
| notice Mr.. Henderson and other good
authorities recommend planting on SOD.
We used TO do this, but do so no more.
There are at least two other good methods
that succeed better. Plant in the rich
earth of the hot bed, and when the time
has come TO set them in the open ground,
YOU are provided with tin cutters some
eight inches in diameter, with which, after
thorough watering, you cut out the melon
hills las the housewife cuts out her biscuit
and carry them on shovel 10 the place OF
setting near by. This is far better than
the sod. but there is a 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 Tor the
market it is important to start as early as
possible; but, from necessity, our main
planting is in the open ground. After
planting, the mole is aptto plough through
the ground and ruin the crop. l know no
better way, if you can not reach Mr.. Mole,
than 10 piow 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 lot
them, and it takes but n few hours to ut
terly destroy every plant, when they come
in force, as they are accustomed 10 90
But Paris green, unlAeu VIII ~ parts VI
flour or plaster, has never failed with me
10 stop their ravages.
Years ago we were trying all varieties;
now we plant but two sorts, and that about
in the proportion of ten TO one. we plant
ten acres of the Alton Nutmeg and one of
Long Persian, which is the Cdsdba OF the
catalogues. The latter is a late melon and
one that 1 like to eat, but its shape being
long, it does not take in the market, except
where well known. If knew of anything
better than these which L have named, /
would certainly find place for them.
Our melons usually commence ripenlng
about the last OF July, from the outdoor
paintings, and have known them to con-
tinue to hold on till the middle Of October.
[ have grown {, 900 melons to the acre, and
sold them for about 500; but this is more
money than you can ordinarily get for an
acre of melons. We ship in 2-bushel crates,
holding from IS to q to a crate. The high
est price we ever received was SO per crate
of two dozen-the lowest price just about
nothing al all but ordinarily the crop
pays moderately we'll, and for five yeaTt
has been a speciality on the Hill farm, and
is likely TO so continue, %. /. BARRIER.
Madison County, Illinois.