Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-11-27
The Melon Seed Industry for Texas.

| by some inexplicable hook or crook
Florida appears to be largely monopoliz-
ing the watermelon seed business, and
| yet Florida ranks entirely below the besl
| as watermelon producing state. Geor-
gia beats Florida in the production OF
| melons ut least 80 per cent. Ala
bama 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 to the black sandy lands
of Texas for watermelons. These lands
| bring melons to the highest known de-
velopmrnt 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 ger too dry for melons on these
lands-they eau be kept growing con-
s;antly from the last frost in spring
to frost IN fall. At the time of this
writing (November 49,, there are still
watermelons on the Texas markets, even
as far north as Fort Worth.
Getting back to the melon seed indus
try, Us 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 wstermelons 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 43, 600 pounds of
seed.
Foridians who raise melons for mar
ket, saws the Agriculturist writer. plant
about February l, but Mr.. G,rardeau is
never in hurry to plant. He waits till
all danger Of frost is over, and then pre-
pares his land and plants about in the
same way as 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 s!mplified the process that he oan raise
and harvest seed ready for shipping at
an expense of two cents a pound. He
sells seed all over the United States,
even in California. Florida watermelon
seed is found to produce batter melons
and more of them than Northern or
Western seed.
The writer further states that sit is
singular fact in the experience of Mr..
Girardeau, that he cannot raise melons
two years in succession on the same land.
The second year the vines die out SO
badly that he cannot secure half q crop,
sometimes not a 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
to 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-
sity for change of land-they grow
melons year after year on the same land,
aud so far, have noticed no particular
difference in results.
If 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 fertilize 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 here 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, and
that reputation is yearly on the gain.
By turning our attention 10 seed produce
ton and hustling little this reputation
would soon put everybody on the alert
Tor Texas grown melon seeds-no doubt
about that.
With us the melon seed business would
oe business for the entire season, while
he senson for shipping our melons to dis
ant markets Is comparatively short