The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-04-16
on MELON CULTunE.

Col J. {. Lakely, ore oil the most sue
eoSsful watermelon growers in Georgia,
has. in compliance with our request,
kindly supplied us with paper, relative
10 his methods Of managing the crop. We
could have preferred that the paper re-
late specially 10 melon culture in Texas,
bat knowing no prominent grower here
We addressed Col. Lakeiy; but really,
then, Inc principle is about the same
everywhere. hence successful melon cul-
ture il Georgia il worked exactly on the
same plan i'll Texas could rot prove 9th
crwisc than everything desired.
The iirSt thing, says Col. LakeIy. ''is
the soil upon which You are TO plant y
soil Slightly sandy, ii reasonably rich, or
made reasonably rich, is considered best.
ANY good and well-drained soil may be
made 10 give entire satisfaction. but the
heavy clay soil calls for slight differ
ence in lis preparation for the crop.
The second thing is the preparation. The
land must. in every ease. be deeply
broken and thoroughly pulverizcd. There
are persons who seem 20 think that 4
hole decpl, dug ont for the hill fills
every requirement, but this IS, most en-
phatically mistake. It is the nature of
the watermelon TO run is roots into the
soil fully rs far as its vines run atop Of
it, Then the watermelon is a tap-root
plant. sending series of roots well down
into the soil 10 find that moisture which
enables it 10 flourish 10 perfection through
y y,
in 4 statement mace by MIR I. g. Root. the
r1tcd Illinois melon grower, Us follows:
Dr. Livingstone, in his African travels.
tells us Of passing for twenty-One days
through one continuous field of wild water
melons on plains otherwise quite barren
The winter rains, which in that latitude
are warm. Sprout the seeds, when the tap
root AZ once strikes downward until it
reaches a horizon of permanent moisture,
just rs il Goes with IS. Reaching this
moisture the drouth of the African sum
mer cannot kill the plant, but enables il
70 produce fruit of unusually fine quality
In quite 4 similar way does it flourish on
our own prairies, varying in the fact that
it calls upon man to plant, till and protect
il from such weed and grass enemies as
do not exist on those African plains.
Heat is nothing whatever against the
watermelon. neither IS drouth, provided
il has facilities for getting down its tap
root. Then that very heat and drouth
which gives an abundant weld and superior
quality, also creates in man an appetite for
the fruit.
Many melon growers continues Col.
I.akely, seem 70 have some idea of that
tap root business, and this idea may be the
thing causing them to dig out deep hole
for each hill. Those holes are mistake
They gather water with each rain. which,
should the ground be of clayey character,
stands in them as in basin, until il stag
mates more or less. Any such conditions rs
this seriously damage the plants. A deep
hole IS always needed, sure enough but il
must be big hole-large enough 10 en-
brace the entire patch without breaks. In
L word. the soil must not be broken deeper
n one point than another; it must al! be
pulverized well down-fully twelve inches
is not deeper than necessary for tirst-class
success IN watermelon culture.
Check of Your rows so as 10 have Your
hills ten feet apart each way. This is the
prevailing rule. though for myself, | would
prefer twelve feet. You might get more
melons by planting nearer together than
twelve or even ten feet, out they would
not be so large. 1t is the large melons.
even though in smaller numbers. that
brings in his profits 10 the grower. People
always pick FOR the largeS; melons, ana
they are usually willing to pay FOR them as
large melons For local trade one can
usually run of . goodly number OF small
melons. at low figures. but il viii never
pay to ship small melons 4 long distance:
besides should there he q fair local trade
for small melons You will be sure to have
enough of them to meet the demand with
out attempting TO raise them. Plan: as
YOU may there will always be i considera-
ole sprinkling Of small melons. Every
melon grower should set his plans for only
large melons, allowing the small melons TO
come of themselves, Z thing they VIII be
sure - do.
And now you are ready to plant, and