Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-03-28
Florida Watermelon Growing.

Richard Puddy in Florida Farmer and Fruit
Grower
This is an important crop in the
South, because our cOlored people
will have millions if it takes their
last penny, and very few of them are
enterprising enough to raise them.
If they are raised five or six miles
back from the railroad, they cannot
be acquired except by purchase.
l plant several acres every year.
Several months beforehand | begin
to prepare my supply of manure; l
haul up quantity Of muck, mix
with it about one-tenth its bulk of
cottonseed meal and throw the whole
mass at once in the boX-stalls where
l stable my horse and mule. 1t is
their only bedding; for months they
paw and stamp it,miXingit thorough
ly with their droppings and urine. If
need be, | shovel it over once or
twice, but | do not clean out the
stalls until require the manure for
use. Horse hoOfs will stir compost
more cheaply than l can with
shovel.
About the last of January is my
time for planting. First, the ground
must be plowed, say eight inches;
then run out your burrows eight feet
apart Cor ten if the soil is rich,) cross
them the same width, and at every
cross make a hill. For the hill, dig
out broad, shallow hole, and in it
throw four shovelsful of the compost.
Cover this with three or four inches
Of soil q omitted to say that light,
dry sandy ground is the best for mel
Ons,) forming hill about on a level
with the general surface. Let these
stand about week, then plant the
seed. My preference is for Georgia
Rattlesnake and Kolb's Gem.
l make a circle about a foot in di-
ameter, stick the seeds in it equidis-
tant and one in the middle of the
ring, pressing them down with my
fingers so as to make sure that they
shall be covered to a uniform depth
Of about an inch. AS soon as the
plants come up, | put board frame,
fifteen inches square and four inches
high, over each hill, working it well
down all around so as to prevent cut
worms and all other vermin from
creeping under it. ItnOt only answers
this purpose, but it protects the plants
also from the wind. If left unprotect-
ed they are liable to be switched
about by the wind and get the "sore
shins," as the native farmers call it,
which hinders their growth. When
the plants have four leaves apiece, l
consider them out of danger and thin
them out to two plants in hill. Old
sacks or pieces of carpet are kept ly-
ing beside the frames, and if there is
Il probability of frost at night they
are thrown over the frames and re
moved in the morning. / let the
frames stay over the hills day and
night until the vines begin to reach
and climb over them, then take them
away and stone them for another sea.
son. Shallow ploughing or cultivat.
ing is kept up at frequent intervals
early in the season, but after the
vines begin to run freely this is grad.
ually dropped. If the ground was
plowed at first as deep as it should
he, all this cultivation ought to be
only on the surface, especially close
about the hills. If a crust forms here
| break it with my fingers; the hoe
is apt to scratch the tender vines.
Beginning foot or two out from
the hill, | let good many weeds
grow, merely breaking of the rankest
of them a few inches above the
ground. These serve the vines as q
support If the weeds do not grow
thick enough, l often set scores O