Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1882-05-31
The Art of Raising Melons.
n. Y. Independent ]

! 1t IS no art at oil TO raise them In 8
warm climate, on a sandy soil, wei
manured; but how shall they be pro.
cured, large and sweet, when the con.
ditions are quite different. In large
sections of this state the idea of raising
watermelons and muskmelons, worth
the effort to obtain them, has been
abandoned as a practical impossibility
and yet these luxuries are all the time
within easy reach by those who want
them. In Central New York such
ideas have long prevailed, as, also,
Until very recently, that the thought of
raising Lima beans, or okra, or the egg
plant successfully must be abandoned ;
and so many of the finer grapes that
might be secured are not even sought
at all by multitudes, because Of the
false persuasion that they are, however
desirable in themselves, yet unattaina-
BILE, in our peculiar circumstances, 10y
US. The soil, it is said, is too tough,
or sour, the air too raw, and the frosts,
early and late, too severe. But the
writer has regularly, every year. an
abundance of sweet, ripe grapes, of
many sorts-purple, black, red and
white-ready at hand in September
And large and luscious melons he is
just as sure of obtaining, in any guam
tity desired, from the last of August
to the last of October, as he is any
other fruits Of the garden, and by but
moderate. effort and care.
Our soil is strcng clay, which
bakes readily, under atmospheric con-
ditions which often prevail here, into
Jumps, little and big; and so is not
friab!e and powdery enough to meet
the needs of the finer vegetable growths.
Scores Of loads of sand to the acre
would be worth as much to our rich
farm-lands and gardens as would be so
much manure to poorer land, by way
of loosening the soil for the easier
growth of the roots of vines, flowers
and trees, that demand great freedom
of motion underground /; and, if this
condition of successful growth be not
furnished, it's absence will inevitably
cause them to be stinted and even, it
may be, to wilt and die.
Let him who would raise in our
climate superior melons or roses, or the
finer flowers and vegetables of any
kind, or such trees that are now exotics
among us-as walnuts and chestnuts
and the rarer frs-take special pains
to put plenty of sandy loan into his
soil, if exhausted or, if rich, of sand
alone. The writer's way of raising
delicious watermelons and muskmelons
every year is easily described. He
keeps pile of sand always near his
barn, replenishing it regularly each
year, late in the fall or early in the
spring, so as to have it always ready
when wanted Early in May he pre-
pares good sized pile of mingled sand
and well rotted manure, half and half,
as his capital for work, in producing
desired horticultural results, whether
for the eye or the mouth. The time
here for planting melon seeds is be-
tween the 18th and Goth of May.
Prepare your hills (so-called, but they
should not be above the rest of the
soi), eight feet apart each way, by
spreading into the soil three or four
good shovelfuls Of the mixture of sand
and manure, already described, ming
ling this compost, half and half with
as much of the soil for tho space Of
about three feet square. A dozen such
hills will furnish sutficiency of fine
melons, of either kind, for a good-sized
family. Watermelons and muskmelons
may be planted side by side and will
not mix or modify one another at all
Squashes or cucumhers must be, how
ever, carefully grown at a good dis
tance from them, and be, in respect to
prevailing winds, put on the leeward
side. Four or five seeds in hill Tin
the form of a quincunr is as good as
any way) will suffice.
The watermelons most sure to ripen
in our climate are the Black Spanish
and the Orange These will be ready
for use, ripe and sweet, late in August
OF early in September, and last about
month upon the vines. The pleasure
of eating them may be prolonged
through another month by a second
planting of seeds, in other hills, two
or three weeks after the first planting
say about June 5th or 8th. There
are large and somewhat richer water
melons (raised for market on Long
Island and in New Jersey and striped),
that mature more slowly than those
named
They may be secured and ripened fnl-
ly here, and be enjoyed to the full by be-
ing planted by May lst or 9th, in little
hower-pots, single seed in pot, and
KEEP in the house until the latter part
of the month, and transferred 10 the
garden when the earth is sufficiently
warm. These later watermelons the
writer has had, and stored for continued
use, year after year, up to the end Of
November, and even to Christmas,
having them on the table every day, as
refreshing addition to the dinner,
through all that period of the year.
Muskmelons, while of richer sweet
ness than watermelons, ripen so early
and so much at one time as to be gone
in three or four weeks but the enjoy
ment OF these also may be prolonged
by successive paintings Of seed. A
little skill and watchful diligence will
bring very satisfactory results here to
any one that will take the pains to ex-
ercise them.
The directions given already are
complete for raising melons. Now, to
guard them from being destroyed, al
most as soon as they appear above the
surface, by devouring insects, certain
precautions must be carefully taken.
The writer had many years ago 400
boxes prepared of thip wood Fsay half
ap inch Thick, Is inches square, open
at both ends, and 10 inches wide.
These he covered with millinet, making
it firm with tape and tacks. You can
hny millinet of iifferent colnrS-WLita