The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1882-05-03
Culture Of the Melon.
From The Philadelphia Record

hhO II Wis lhdiSCuOuS W our CllLudISJ
and deservedly so, not only on ac-
count OF being luxury, but for its
beneficial effects on the system. We
receive them by thousands, and extra
good ones command high prices, with
quick sales. They are not grown to
perfection on heavy clay soils, but
on light, sandy, dry locations they
reach immense proportions and ripen
early. But while melons are grown
more or less on all classes of soils,
and every one seems to be familiar
with their cultivation: yet, like every
thing else, there is right way, and
in order to have them Of fair size and
good quality it should be closely FOL.
lowed. The same culture adapted
to the watermelon applies also to the
musk and canteloupe varieties.
Strange TO say, while melons are
known to us as being almost entirely
composed of water, they prefer
very dry location, will not thrive in
wet situations, and the vines endure
drought to great degree. They
require plenty OF room in which to
grow ten feet each way being better
than a lesser distance. Many per-
sons give them hoeing two or three
times during the season, and the
vines are gently removed or turned
over to facilitate the process. This
is a great mistake, as the vines should
on no condition be touched or re-
moved. Not even are they to be al.
lowed to be turned over by the wind,
and clod OF dirt here and there
should be placed to prevent it. Moth.
ing is more injurious to melons than
the slightest disturbance Of the vines,
and yet how often do we see thought
less gardeners walk at random over
field or patch of melons, disarranging
the vines and doing damage that has
no consideration because it is not
known.
In hoeing melons never work any
part of the hill that is covered by the
vines, but work before them-that is,
around the hill outside of the limit
growth already made by them, Ifgrass
has secured stand in them gently
pull it up, care being taken not to dis.
turb the vines more than is necessary
to clean them out and all manure or
tort lizsIs. z Aapld. be ..snnlisa. $4,000
very Young baby. So / think that
in following up the poor lands, have
also found the healthy parts OF Flor
ida. | have done this for fifty nine
years, and believe can get through
this generation, and let the next one
look out for themselves.
would advise those who settle in
the State, to look in the first place,
for a good healthy locality--not seek
wealth alone. Health is. first, then
with industry and economy you can
be happy And on this poor land if
tue orange fails land | don't think it
willy, you can raise sugar-caue, pota-
toes, cotton, tobacco, and vegetables
OF all KINDS. The surplus can be
shipped, and good prices secured.
You will find this far easier than to
cut off a chuns o. the Florida climate
and ship 1t North with the expecta-
ton OF raising a crop of desirable eli.
mate where the soil may be little
better than il is here. An indNStri>
Gus man will raise corn enough, with
little fertilizer, to do hlm-trom
seven to ii),etn bushels to the acre.
I am now speaking OF the poor pine
lands. From $50 to 500 worth OF
sugar or syrup can be raised to the
acre, $40 pounds long staple cotton
to three acres without fertilizers, $50
TO 400 bushels Of sweet potatoes
when. moderately ferliljzed; peas
canu0t be beat either in yield or
quality. Cabbage, caulitlower, Irish
potatoes. and all Garden stuff, require
TO be we'll ler,iized; Tobacco grows
we'll, but | have never seen it raised
tor salc-only tor use at home. The
land that is miXed with mari or lime
stone II the western part OF the State
will do better tor cane or corn; but
it is supposed that there Is a saltpe>
ter in the lands IN this part or the
State that causes the corn TO white
bud" but this property is a noble
feeder to the orange, for the
trees and fruit show it,
On the Kissimmee lands one can
raise fifty to sixty bushels OF corn to
the acre, and $500 to $3.50 worth of
sugar, and hope the Okeechobee
will be cut loose by June, SO that
Others can see this good land. /
nave seen these crops growing on
,he Klseimmee thirty five years ago,
when it MAS dry Tor three OF four