Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-11-23
The Melon Seed Industry for Texas.

Inc "NtOh seen LOT teAaS.
By some inexplicabe hook or crook
Florida appears to be largely monopoliz-
ing the watermelon seed business, and
yet Florida ranks entirely below the best
as a watermelon producing state. Geor-
gia beats Florida in the production Of
melons at least 90 per cent. Ala
bnma beats her by wide mar
gin and Texas beats all OF them put to-
gether. There are no lands in the world
that come up 10 the black sandy lands
of Texas for watermelons. These lands
bring melons to the higheat known de-
velopment in every respect, ana mature
them even earlier than they are matured
by the celebrated 'shell banks' of the
eastern Gulf coast. Then, our seasons
never get too dry for melons on these
lands-thev can be kept growing con-
stantiy from the last frost in spring
to frost IN fall. At the time of this
writing (November l9), there are still
watermelons on the Texas markets, even
as far north as Fort Worth.
Getting back to the melon seed indus
try, as carried on in Florida, we may
convey some idea of it by referring to an
article appearing in the latest issue of
the Florida Agriculturist. The writer
cello, has attained considerable celebrity
as "a grower of watermelons for seed. He
began in the business about ten years ago
and has gradually increased it until this
year, when he had about 800 acres of
melons and shipped 49, 900 pounds of
seed.
Floridians who raise melons for mar
ket, saws the Agricultural writer, plant
about February l but Mr., Girardeau is
never in hurry to plant. He waits till
all danger Of frost is over, and then pre-
pnres his land and plants about in the
same way US shippers, planting his seed
in checks ten feet square. His methods
of saving seed are largely his own in
vention, suggested from time to time by
apparent needs. Suffice it to say, he has
so simplified the process that he can raise
and harvest seed ready for shipping at
m expense of two cents pound. He
sells seed all over the United States,
even in California. Florida watermelon
seed is found to produce better melons
and more of them than Northern OF
Western seed.
The writer further states that "it is a
singular fact in the experience of Mr..
Girardeau, that he cannot raise melons
two years in succession on the same land.
TIC SctOuu SSdl tuC WIGS Vic Jul 81
badly that he cannot secure half a crop,
sometimes not quarter, nor even any
thing at ALL He would not venture to
plant on the same land again under five
years. This information Is of interest
10 our Texas melon growers only in its
showing OF how much better melon coun-
try we have here, than is characteristic
of Florida. Our melon growers have
never vet thought much about any neces-
sty for a change of land-thev grow
melons year after year on the same land
and so far, have noticed no particular
difference in results.
IL there is money for the Floridian in
growing melon seed for the seed dealers
there ought to be more money in the
business for the Texan. The FIoridian
must fePtlize his lands heavily to enable
him to get any crop at all. The Texan
might do better than he now does by
making liberal use of fertilizers, but
even without fertilizers he secures better
results than are secured anywhere else.
This melon seed business ought to be
looked into by our people. We can grow
any of the varieties hero that are grown
in any other section of our common
country, and make them an enormous
success.
Already Texas melons have attained to
an enviable reputation for excellence in
all the markets reached by them, aud
that reputation is yearly on the gain.
BY turning our attention TO seed produce
ton and hustling little this reputation
would soon put ve.ybody on the alert
for Texas grown melon seeds-no doubt |
about that.
With us the melon seed business would |
be business for the entire season while |