The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1882-05-11
for the farmer.
WATERMELoNs.

w. do not know Of any subject more season
abe (iust as the season is taking its flight than
ustermeIons. The market this year has been
well supplied, aud the melons, as far as our ex-
perieuce goes, have been unusually fine. The
f.llovine article, by c. NJ. Clay, of Kentucky,
in the journal of the American Agricultural
Association. Ne. IT. will therefore be better ap-
nr.eiated while the taste is the palate than II
deferred until planting time: 1t can be land
aside until spring for practical USE
CULTURE OF wATERNELoSs.
OF all the fruits of all climes, / most esteem
the watermelon. At that season of the year,
when low and malarious springs cause so much
sickness where cisterns not made, the wa
terrnelon is sufficient drink and exceedingly
wholesome acting on all the secTetions, and
keeping down tendencies TO fever Dy gentie
perspiration. But when the least decayed they
are equally unhealthy. 1t is tropical fruit,
but NAV be raised in all chimes where the Indian
corn natures, and should be planted about the
same time.
QUALITY.
The meat shonid be red, close, tender and
sweet; the rind thin and brittle. Some of the
large, coarse, thick rinded melons are good
when in high culture, but they too often are
second rate, when the meat becomes coarse, full
of tendons and tough. They hybridize very ca
silly, and but one variety had best be planted b!
any one; but il more be planted they shonld be
many hundreds of yards apart, and even then
the bees and winds may mix the pollen.
soil.
have given care to melons from my you'll
up and have never succeeded in getting two
first-rate crops from the same ground in success
sion. / have found the bluegrass sod, well
turned under the best soil for them; and next,
newly cleared land, though they may be raised
| on any good corn land.
CULTURE.
At the first of May, in this latitude, the ground
should be checked by the pillow, or other marker
10 feet by TO- or, with large varieties, IL by l.
feet. If the proper land is used no manure u
| needed: but if old land or manure is used, the
best is sand mixed with the vegetable debris Of
forests or well-rotted sods taken from fence cor
ners or highways. 1 have not found stable ma
| nure to answer well, nor have tried guano OF
| ground bones. In each cross of the lines hill
should be made, one foot deep and three feet
square and four inches high, in which adozen oil
| more seed should be planted, and then covered
| over with the same soil "a little sand mixed
with it is better) two inches deep. The weeds
with light piowing, should DO kept down through
| the season, never removing the vines from theil
| place as the roots run under the shade of thu
| vine near the surface, and will perish with thu
sudden exposure to the sun.
As soon as the seeds are planted and strucl
! with the shovel to compact the surface, in ordel
TO prevent the escape of moisture, place shin
giles upon each hill to trap the striped bug, TIL
| great enemy of the vines. They seek the shelte
| of the shingles in the cool nights, when eacl
evening aud early morning they must be turned
| over aud the bugs killed with paddle. Man.
| persons fail to raise melons because of thes
| bugs, which conceal themselves in the groun'
and suck the juice of the young plants, and ma.
| never be even seen till the whole crop isdestroy
| ed An old melon raiser told me that he was il
the habit of making blazing fires in his meloi
! ground at night and that the bugs would fall in
| 10 the flames and be killed; never tried II, I'm
ding the shingle trap sufficient.
| As the plants are well up, you may be
| gin the thinning, till, as they get past tn
| chances of destruction by tie bugs, and thci
! leaves well formed, they must he thinned Z
| two plants in hill. As the plants advance, tn
! weeds must be kept well under before the vines
but never touched behind them, as the vine
will not admit of being handled moved.
| think nearly the same weight Of fruit will ID
| produced without topping or shortening tn
| vines, but if large specimens are wanted, afte
the fruit is set the ends of the side shoots AM
the main runner may he pinched off, so as T.
force all the sap into the few melons left for ma
| turity. 1t is best to cultivate the vines late II
| the afternoon, that the roots injured by tn
| cultivator, pillow or hoe, can have the whO
| night TO recover before the sun comes upOl
| them.
When ripe they should he gathered early il
| the morning, when cool, for the gives then
| the dull sound which maturity produces. The,
| should he thumped lightly with the finger nail
| when, if they sound with a metallic ring, seem
| ing to pass through the whole melon, they arr
vet green; but if the sound is dull and seemingl,
| confined to the rind, the melon is ripe. WheI
the belly next the ground is white, or the curl o
| green fresh vines dead, these are also indica
| tons of ripeness. The stems should be cut Ion,
with a sharp knife, and the melons placed in
cool place till eaten, when they should be Gu
through the long axis into equal halves, ant
| each guest furnished with one half and silve
| spoon, so they may all have some of the hes
parts of the melon, which in good ripe meloi
| is the core.
Melons may be kept well till November in tbi
| latitude, in a cool cellar, and on ice very vel
| till January following. But / am in favor O
eating all things only in their regular time, a
the good Providence gives some Injuries 70
| all seasons.