The morning news., 1890-07-04

/ far there have been no reflections. This is
/ owing to the precautions and ludicious dis.
tribution of the fruit by the exchange.
Ii is a noteworthy fact, also, that since the
exchange, through such reliable representa-
tives as Mr. Hand and others, has explored
and canYassed all western, northern and
eastern points, establishing reliable agen-
cies, not only in the large cities, but lesser
| towns, the consumption Of melons and the
demand for them has greatly increased. l
| have Just seen orders for carloads Of melons
| from villages IN the extreme northwest, and
even as far as Toronto. Canada. Indeed,
with proper encouragement from the rail-
roads, the
WATERMELON TERRITORY
can be extended almost indefinitely, and
| this new industry be made to take rank in
value and importance with the great staples
of the country. See what has been already
accomplished. Careful estimates place the
actual net returns the present season to
melon growers, when the crop is gathered
at the handsome sum Of S400, 900. To this
must be added over s75O,0OO paid to the
several railroads, thus making an aggregate
of about 81 200, 900 realized in few weeks
from the melon industry, which is still in
its infancy. This is outside of the profits
OF the seed raisers. Some farmers grow
melons for the seed alone, which command
from 70 cents to 81 per pound in the
market.
THE PLANTING SEASON
begins in February and extends into the
early days of March. The ground Ia sandy
loam is the best having been previously
well broken and pulyerized, is checked off
in squares ten feet each way, and a fiat hill
| formed with a hoe, at the intersection of
each square. In this hill the fertilizer is
deposited, usually one pound of guano
sometimes supplemented with little farm
yard manure) equal to 500 pounds per acre,
which is carefully mixed with the soil
Three or four seeds are then placed on one
side Of the hill, and when about to germ
mate, the opposite side is also seeded. After
the lapse of a few days the third side is
planted, and with still the interval of
another week the work is completed by
seeding the fourth and last side. This
is done to guard against late frosts.
II the first planting is killed
| then the next takes it place, and also with
the fourth and last seeding. Thus the
| earliest possible stand is assurred-a matter
| OF great imp0rtance-wIthout the loss of
single day. The cultivation consists in
shallow plowings often repeated, before the
vines cover the ground, followed usually at
the last working with two rows of peas
dropped in the center between the melon
| hills.
Can the melon be raised in successive
| years on the same landl
This is a question which has finally been
settled by hundreds of experiments. The
answer is an emphatic no. Four years at
least should intervene between each crop,
and many think that seven should be allowed
to pass. It matters not how rich the soil NAV
have became by artificial stimulants-o
crops eau be successfully grown upon it.
but the melon never Ill succession. This,
perhaps, is due to the fact that the saccha-
| rine elements in the earth have been ex-
hausted by the draught made upon it to
produce the sweet and delicious core of the
melon. The fertilizers applied however
literally. seem to lack some essential ingre-
dent not contained in their chemical anal
ysls. Queryi Could this deficiency be rem
edled by dressing of sugar, or diluted
syrups The hint is simply thrown out for
what it is worth. 1t can readily be seen,
therefore, from the above that melon pro-
ductlon will always be necessarily restricted
In volume. Only certain area on each
farm lying contiguous to railroad or
water course can be utilized for that pur-
pose and this should and certainly must
enhance the demand and price for the arti-
Gle. When planted In succession the vines
become diseased and rusty, and yield but a
scanty return of inferior fruit. A moder-
ately dry season is the best for melons.
Heavy and continuous rains cause the vines
to die and the fruit either decaysor becomes
specked and unmerchantable.
COST OF PRODUCTION.
1t requires about five months to grow and
market Drop of melons. The outlay
varies with the price Of labor. In some
sections hands are contracted for at $40 per
month and found to the close OF the season.
Generally, however, especially in harvest
ing, laborers are hired by the day at from
rs cents to 81 each To avoid the heat the
lad ind fha md
noon. But when the demand is active the
work is continued at all hours. Indeed,
those gathered at noon are handled easiest,
as at that time the rindS are tougher and
more flexible. In the early morn they are
brittle and break open at the slightest shock.
The cost Of picking, hauling and loading
melons on the cars varies with the distance
from the depot and the scarcity or abund-
ance of labor. In Mitchell county. where
all help is hired, $40 is the average price for
loading, while Mr.. Thompson of Smithville
told me the same work could be done there
for $4 per carload.
An average reduction of about Is per
cent. in freight he's been conceded the
present year on nearly all of the railroads.
For instance, the rate from Atlanta to st.
Paul this season by the Georgia Central and
Louisville and Nashville system is 81 cents
per hundred, against 45 cents last year
This side Of the Ohio river there is very
little change. but beyond that stream
considerable reduction has been made
From Albany and vicinity to New Orleans,
Memphis and other river points the reduc-
ton reaches the large figure of Sl1
per carload. Between Albany and
Birmingham, Ala, it is 50 less than for
merly. | have heard but few complaints so
far by the farmers this year against the
railroads. The latter have labored very
diligently to expedite the movement of the
melon crop. Empty boxes from every part
of the union have been onceatrated at all
the principal shipping points TO meet the
demand for transportation. Moreover,
these boxes haye almost universally been
provided with adequate ventilation, which
accounts for the fact that up to this date
the shipments have nearly all been received
IN good order and sold at fair prices
THE AMOUNT OF THE CROP MARKETED.
The percentage of the crop marketed to
date l learn from the most Intelligent
sources to be as follows: On the line of the
Albany aud Townsville railroad over two
ffths;- on the Savannah, Florida and West
ern railway fully two-thirds; on the upper
portion of the Georgia Southern and
Florida road about one-fourth. Other por-
tions of Southwest Georgia prob |
ably about one-half. The shipments of |
the Savannah, Florida and Western |
road amount to about 1880 |
carloads. 1t was impossible to procure &C
curate estimates from the various other |
lines. The area on the Georgia Southern |
and Florida of