The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1894-03-22
WATERMELON GROWING
Timely Suggestions to the Melon
Growers Of Georgia.
An EXHAUSTIVE ADDRESS,
ihe Remarks of DR.. George f. Payne.
r. {. :, state Chemist. Made Before i,
the GeorGia state Agricultural
society in 8runswi Feb. Ii.

Georgia State Agricultural society: Last
summer our attention was called to a
statement which, appears to be pretty
largely acknowledged as fact, that wa
termelons cannot be grown successfully
second or third season upon the same
land, even with the use of fertilizers. A
belief is entertained by several growers
with whom the matter was discussed
that If the vines Of watermelons were
not allowed to wither and decay in the
field, a good crop could easily be raised
the second season; but even if the drain
age water from such fields of decaying
vines and melons, runs over land as vet
implanted in watermelons, the land SO
lmpregnated will fail to produce crop
If in melons the succeeding year. There
are parties, however, who raise success
slve crops of watermelons on the same
land season after season, with very small
amounts of fertilizers
Thinking it might possibly be de-
hency in some particular fertilizing ma
terial which was quickly exhausted from
most soils, watermelon was reduced to
ashes to find out how much available
matter is removed from the soil by fair
crop.
Burning large watermelon to ashes
would not be an easy job under any cir
cumstances, but when it must be done
IN dish only holding small cupful,
and not drop of juice, not a single
seed, nor piece of rind must be lost,
and not a particle of foreign matter must
get into the ashes from any source, it
becomes indeed quite an arduous matter.
fine, handsome, luscious watermelon
is very tempting article when sliced
wide open on hot day in July, but not
a particle of 1t was tasted The Juice
was evaporated to a syrup, and the syrup
evaporated to dryness and the residue
burnt to ashes. The rinds were heated
until thoroughly dry, when they would
take fire and burn like so much wood.
The juice, pulp, rind and seeds were
finally reduced to ashes and the ashes
thoroughly mixed.
The melon selected weighed % IA
pounds and was handsome fellow of
the Augusta or rattlesnake variety. It
was sold as having been raised within
10 miles of Atlanta. The ashes obtained
from this large watermelon would not
make more than. two good heaping table,
spoonsful. They weighed little less
than two ounces. Over % pounds or the
bulk of the watermelon consisted of the
materials extracted from the air and
soil water. 1t is not necessary to repro
duce the many figures and calculations.
Only the lesson they teach will be brief
ly stated; and, foreomparison, will be
given the amounts of phosphoric acid
and potash taken from the soil by
average crops of cotton and corn.
A common yield of an acre in cotton
is 200 pounds of lint cotton and 400
pounds of seed, or 600 pounds of seed
cotton; Is bushels of corn per acre is q
frequent crop, and that of watermelons
about half car load. Upon such crops
as basis are the following figures cal
culated. Surprising that the cotton,
cotton seed, corn and melons only are
removed from the fields. and that the
remaining parts of the plants areplowed
under, 200 pounds of lint cotton and 400
pounds of seed carry away from an acre
of land 4 Ia pounds of phosphoric acid;
IL bushels of corn carry away from an
acre of land pounds Of phosphoric acid,
and half car load Of watermelons car
ry away from an acre of land 3 3D.
pounds of phosphoric acid.
This shows that the watermelon crop
does not take away from the SAL
scarcely as much phosphoric acid as
either the cotton or the corn.
But 200 pounds of lint cotton and 400
pounds of seed carry away from an acre
of land pounds of potash.
Fifteen bushels of corn carry away
from an acre of land 8 1-2 pounds of
potash.
Half a car load of watermelons carry
away from an acre of land II ga pounds
of potash.
This immense quantity of potash re-
moved by the watermelons, as much re-
moved from the soil as would be carried
away by three crops of cotton and cot
ton seed, or five crops of corn. If the
cotton seed were returned to the soil and
only the lint sold, over 10 crops of lint
cotton would be required to remove as
much potash from the soil as the one
crop of melons.
The nitrogen removed by the melon
crop is not as large as might be inferred.
The juice contains about 1-50 OF one per
cent, the pulp about $50 of one per cent,
the rind about 1850 of one per cent, and
the seed about Ia per cent of nitrogen.
The juice constitutes about one half of
the melon and the seeds are very small