The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-24
Melon CROWNS In the south.

This industry, says the Farmer and
Fruit Grower. that fifteen years ago was
in its infancy, with only a few shipments
from around Augusta, Ga, and few
cars from near Valdosta, Ca, has grown
year by year until now we have thou
sands and tens of thousands of carloads
going to the markets each season. with
our melon districts of Georgia, of Florida,
of South and North Carolina, Alabama
Texas, Missouri, Illinois. Indiana, Della
ware and New Jersey. Fifteen years ago
the only melon ever seen loaded in a car
was the old Augusta rattlesnake; then
came the popular KOlb'S gem, that held
sway for many. years, and in the last few
years we have had the Dixie, Duke Jones,
Florida Favorite Blue Gem and Sweet
heart, all popular shipping sorts. This
season ! find great demand for the old
Georgia Rattlesnake, particularly from
the west. Texas, Arkansas and Missouri
growers all say, 1--WE want a long melon;
too many round ones, and the Rattle
snake again seems to be in high favor
Here in the northern central counties
of our state (Florida) we have lands pc
culiarly suited to the watermelon, and we
produce them in their greatest perfection
Good seed, a fair amount of fertilizer and
intelligent cultivation, generally insure an
abundant crop. Here is my plan for grow
ing, cultivating, etc:
/ carefully select my seed from the larg-
est and most perfect melons / can find of
the different varieties | plant. / cut off
select planting seed from the middle only
These seed / think are the best of course
seed saved in this way cost entirely too
much to be sold by, our seedsmen general
ly, who have to contend with sharp COM
petition in their business, and thew could
not afford to even pay the cost of harvest
ing these select seed, and offer them in
competition with seed grown in Kansas
or Iowa at one-third their cost | will saw
right here that have seen some very fine
crops grown from seed taken from large
and small melons indiscriminateIy on the
other hand, l have raised a magnificent
crop of melons along side neighbor whose
crop was a complete failure, both grown
on the same sort of land, and / attribute
my success to my good seed and his fail
ure to his poor seed. Therefore there
may not be as much in this extra care
or securing them from some party who
does, as / think there is. Still / believe
strongly enough in il to go this trouble
and expense each succeeding year to Sc
lect my planting seed
The best soil for watermelons is a rich
sandy loan that has been in cultivation
for say two years. Break this land about
four inches with turn ploW follow inn
medately behind the turn plow with a
medium size shovel plow, putting the
shovel in deep just behind the turn pillow.
in the same furrow, thus, in manner
subsoiling your land. This plowing
should be done in December If possible
If not January will do, or lust before
planting time, which with me, Is about
the 10Th of February. Any time before
planting. your land should be checked off
twelve feet each way; at the check a
hole about six inches deep is followed
out and your fertilizer put down which
should be thoroughly Incorporated with
the soil. A hill about fifteen Inches across
and about two inches above the general