New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-10
WATERMELONS FROM TEXAS DUSL
THE ONLY FRUIT THAT WILL GROW IN THE DEs-
ERT srAKED PI.ATNs-HOw DO THEY
GET THEIR MOISTURE?

Amarillo Tex. Sept. when a stranger visits
these "staked plains" of Texas, he soon learns
not to be surprised at anything ne sees. He
has heard OF this region all his life portion Of
the Great American Desert" and one OF the dryest
parts OF the world He finds by actual Observable
that few crops will grow here account OF the
dryness 1t seems to be too dry for corn. wheat
oats cotton. garden vegetables. or fruit OF any de-
scripiion. The few farmers In the country content
them selves with raising hay sorghum cane. Yet.
strange relate there IL one plant In whose FAVOR
nature chooses 10 make an exception she seems
TO have made a law forb1dlng food plants to grow
in this region. and then arbitrarily to nave sns-
pended this law In one instance. To heighten the
auGacity of this on her part, she seems 10
have racked her brain for the vegetable growth
which We would least expect to hnd mere. Inc
one she selected the watermelon
Every farmers boy knows that ordinarily the
watermelon requires a great deal of moisture be-
fore IL will grow Sell. 1t also generally requires
shade In the East the watermelon patch Is ire
aucntly In some cool and moist corner OF the corn
field where the growing vines VIII soon ne over
Swallowed by the stalks of corn. This Is not merely
for the benefit of such neiphboring boys as may de-
sire 10 eat watermelons without disturbing the
general public. but IT IL also for the benefit OF the
melons themselves. Boys accustomed to look Tor
melons in such places as that would be surprised
20 frd them In this country lying out on the open
prairie where the hot glares down on them
all dav long with never cloud to interpose ana
never tree bush for shade as far as the eye
can reach. Sometimes rot drop Of rain falls
from the time the seed Is planted In the spring I'M
I'll the NEON is eaten in the early Summer. YET
they thrive. And such melons as there are. 100.
Long slender ones and big round ones; light green
ones dark green ones, and striped ones-and II"
ponderous big fellows To come some morning
about sunrise, while it IL yet cool. ana see vast
stretch Of such fruit nesting down amid 'he sho''
curly MESQUITE grass some forty or eighty acres
OF land Is enough 10 make white mans mouth
water like that of horse In field of new clover
and 10 make a black man drop dead In MS TRACKS
fran, dorange,nent of the heart functions. This Is
,o,b,ne though compared to coming upon sucn
a patch about noon when the vertical rays OF inc
sun are pouring down at their heroesI anu ""e"
YOUR throat Is parched with thirst that ~ "e'
s,m At such a time as this you slip your lelt
arm through the bride rein OF your tired pony MI
como long stripod melon with both hands. drop H.
and allow II 10 break into some half dozen pieces
Then YOU gulp down great mouthfus OF the JUICY
w,tery. red pulp and forget that there Is not a
anv kind for thirty miles around. Then you pauss
for a moment and think of the WONDERFUL IU 'ch
water in so dry land Then you break one or Iwo
especially big. juicy melons Tor ene et them liz
H. jmpatienily If you neglect either this tnoufs
or this deed you are meaner pr rue Una" '''''
cane ponv-vhich is saying great utdl an cha.
The method OF cultivang watermelons on .hs
staked Plains is comparatively slpI and droppins
sacd into IT, After this the training OF the tiO O
is left TO the melon ITSELF ella w n tos but it
commonly believed that these come a n9 their seeds
nave found a chance Judgement in the 50" VI wv
prairie s Martial exclamation as to how
,hese melons subslst In such dry region; ate,
pIanation Involves an understanding o. a"y yemark
r,,ni, on the pains which. In ITSELF Is Itn -
hpp matter Dry as this country u.s. one can s
water anywhere IN by asg8s sn sboa and i inserting
,wo-inch pipe one obtains water supply "lVn va a.
is Impossible to eIhaHs this it w sse' region This
sheet OF water Is evidently sb and east OF
INA ina" saked plains The plains proper begin WI, Win
POLO Duva Canyon. where rocky puiIs ,sn ~ 9,o
f p1ba iovei of the vast sheet Of subterranean
water referred to is evidently from and 10 WHY the
aer doe s not run out is mystery Some pecn-
liar formation OF rocks like me RIM Tl co,r and
cool and is az good for all purposes as any IN ,ne
world Many people who have studied 'h h Seter
~ The surface for purposes OF irrigation the whoe
problem OF agriculture in this ara country o'"
There are several reasons why the Pan iIande
Of Texas has mot ma a Of the World To
begin with, the only railroad passing through inc
loads Of melons are shipped this line every sea
SON to Denver but they are all consumed IN the
RoGy MG%nia ia he Es an" Then again the
pan Handler openly disregards the Script9rai IN
things. Unless he can market ten or Twelve car r.
loads he thinks II Is too small a matter 10 ne
worth fooling With. He IL generally stock raiser
and considers anything of an agricultural nature as
a trife be.ow his dignity. anyway, especially unless
II is on a very large scale. His ideas OF hospitality
lead him 10 invite all his neighbors 70 make free
with his melons. and a visiting "outht OF COWBOYS
can make way with a great many. After whole
neghborhood has satisfied Itself from patch, III
the remnant is not enough to load whole train
for shipment It Is usually fed TO the hogs 1t IL
said that hogs are extremely fond OF watermeions,
and that they fatten fairly well upon them
There is at least other animal in the ran
Handle that Is fond OF watermeons and that Is the
wolf He IL keen-wltted enough TO recognize the
value OF the watermelon means or obtaining
moisture TO Stake his thirst in dry country, and he
gives the meon-raiser end of trouble along that
line He is the foe the watermelon has on
the Staked Plains. 1t is said that gang of thirty
o. forty lean. hungry. thirsty prairie wo.ves. or
before they leave IT, A coyote never disturbs any
melon except ripe one. though how he can tell
which the ripe ones are nobody seems 10 know.
Perhaps he thumps them with his fore paw, but ii
is more likely that he applies his nose and judges
by the scent. With his long, keen fangs he can
open "A melon readily pickaninny with a
barlow knife He eats little II any of the melon
pulp but contents himself with tapping and sucking
up the watery Juice This is why a pack do 50
much damage TO patch.
4 GRiTEFTL SNAKE.