Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-03-13
MELONS FROM DUST.
ONLY FRUIT THAT WILL GROW IN THE
STAKED PLAINS.
Large and Juicy Wutcrncions Produced
on the "Croat A2lerlcan Desert" Where
II Never Rains--A Partial Explanation
of the Mystery.


of the Mystery.
Whom stranger visits these "stalled
plains OF Tczas, he soon learns not TO bo
surprised at anything hesces. lie has heard
OF this region all his life as portion of
the "Great Amcrican desert aud one of
the dricst PARTS of the world lie finds by
actual observation that few crops Will grow
here on account of the dIYnoss II seems
10 bo too dry lor corn, wheat, oats, cotton,
garden vegetables or fruit of any dcscrip-
ton. The fcW farmers in the country con-
tent themselves with raising hay or sor-
ghum cane Yet, strange 10 relate, there
Is one plant in whose favor nature chooses
TO make an exception. she suoms Go have
made q law forbiCdiug food plants TO grow
IN this region and then arbitrarily TO have
suspended this laW i'm one instance. To
hcighton the audaaity OF this move on her
part she seems to have racked her brain
for tho vegetable growth which we would
least expect 10 find here. The Que she Sc.
lectcd WAS tho watermelon.
Every fnrmcr's hoy knows that ordinari-
ly the watermelon requires great deal OF
moisture before it Will grow well. 1t also
generally requires shade. in the east the
watermelon patch is frequently in some
cool or moist corner of the cornield, where
the growing vines Will soon be overshad
owed 10y tho stalks of corn. This is not
merely for the benefit of such neiQhboring
boys as may desire to eat watermelons
without disturbing the general public, but
81 is also for the benefit OF the melons them
selves.
Boys accustomed to look for melons in
such places ass that would be surprised to
find thcm in this country lying out on the
open prairie where the hot sun gares
down ON them all day long with never a
cloud 10 iniorpOs0 and never II tree or a
bush for shade as far rs the eye can reach.
Sometimes NOT drop of rain falls from
tie time the seed is planted in the spring
until the melon is eaten in tho carly sum
mer Yet they thrive. And such melons
as there are too! Long, slender ones and
big round ones; light green ones, dark
Prccn ones and striped oncs-and all pom
der0us, big fellows. To come some morn
ing about sunrise, while il is yet cool, and
see vast stretch of such fruit nesting
down amid tine short, curly mesquite grass
on some 40 or so acres of land Is enough
to make white mans mouth water like
thai Of a horse in "a field of new clover and
TO make h.acl, man drop dead in his
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