The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1884-06-04
The Love of Bears for Melons.

l once worked on a watermelon plan
tation where we had 100 acres under
vines at one time. The curious thing
about the business was that our hardest
fight wasn't agin weeds. 1t was agin
bears-black bears. We'd got the vines
all shooting along, some of them with
melons on 'em as big as pumpkin, and
the old man was getting the road to the
river cleared out, so as to be ready fol
shipping, when one morning in came one
of the boys, and says he:
Something has broke down the worm
fence and battered up about an acre OF
the vines in the clearin'.''
We'd just cleared about ten acres OF
woodland the past winter, and melons
were doing amazingly well in the field.
So you may know the old man was
mad when he heard this. Him and I
went down to see what was up, and we
saw in a minute that it was bears.
There were tracks, just as if they were
made by men walking on their hands, in
the soft earth all over the field, and the
vines were torn up and ripe and green
melons mashed to flinders in way that
nothing but a bear could do.
"They'll be back to night" said the
old man.
"You and Josh and Henry clean out
your rifles and be ready for en-"
There was full moon that night, and
I tell you things looked purity. Josh and
Henry and l settin' behind stumps with
our rifles across our laps, waiting. The
fence was still torn down at the point
nearest the woods, and the moonlight |
shining on the dark forest where we eX-
9 on TIE Held 6afarw fopl a9a tiBe
white tendrils glistened like silver, look
ed mighty purity.
NorIa and then we heard a screech owl |
yelling down in the woods, but we didn't
pay no attention to that; and presently
l saw bear come out and walk slowly
into the field. He was a big fellow, as
black as coal in the moonlight, and he
wasn't in any hurry either. He saun
tered along as slow as you please over to
big striped Georgia melon, and, settin'
down on his hams, he just picked that
melon up in his two forepaws, and
half minute his whole head was drip
ping with juice, and l could hear him
smaclzing his lips like hog.
We let him alone, according to the old
mans instructions, waiting until there
should be bear apiece for us, for the
tracks showed that at least six of 'em
had been around the night before.
In few minutes along came another
one, and then there walked in an old she
bear with two cubs at her heels. We
had three bears now, but nary one of us
fired. Watching them bears was the
biggest picnic ever l saw. Sometimes
they'd catch up melon just as yor
you'd take up q baby, and, holding il
close 10 'em, travel across the field OF
their hind legs until they'd see bigger
one, and then smash would go the rind
and juice would drip off 'em like they
had Just come out of bath.
l was watching the old one teaching
her young ones how to break into the
juicy parts, when crack went j osh S rifle
and the whole gang started on run
The vines tripped 'em up SO that they
couldn't 60 very fast, and we each bag
ged one of 'em, mine being one OF the
young ones. We watched every night
after that till the season was over, but
they were kind OF wary now, and we
never shot more than one in night
While we'd be sitting in one field wait.
ing for them, they'd be rip-snorting away
at the fruit on the other side of the plan.
tation.
Bears are keener after watermelons
than negro, and can say no more thar
that.-Denrcr Republican.