The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-23
To Grow Melons AbundantIy.

Sub5N9tl Hils CONSTRUCTED some nOleS ana
planted 10 watermelons. The following is
substantially the statement given me:
The holes, four in number, were two feet
square and two feet deep. constructed on
a CALLED, or washed, land THAT would or
dinarily produce but little, If anything. A
peck Of corn cobs and a peck of cotton
seed were planted In each hole, the cobs
being on the bottom and the cotton seed
on top Of the cobs. The cotton seed had
previously been bulked, water applied, and
then covered with soil this created a heat.
which destroyed the vitality of the seed.
The holes were then filed with rich earth
from beneath cedar trees where fowls had
roasted. Early in the spring watermelon
seed We're planted, and finally thinned 20
two or three vines to a hole, but Two APP
peared 70 do the best The ground about
and around the hole was occasionally stir
red by digging, but no plow was at any
time used. The four holes produced be-
tween ninety and one hundred melons,
nineteen of which were large some of
them weighing over thirty pounds. The
vines hourished throughout the summer
without a single yellow leaf, and finally
the frost caught quite a crop of green mel
ons that did not have time to ripen what
has been done may be DONE" and in this
case, as l believe, easier and more prac-
ticauy
An Easier Way-Instead of holes con-
struct trenches from one and one-half TO
TWO feet deep and two feet broad by plow-
ing and shoveing out the dirt. Divide
the trenches into alternate rude comDart-
ments OF one foot and five feet by driving
stakes or boards into the bottoms. Place
on the bottoms of the five-feet compart-
ments from one-haf to one bushel of corn
cobs, and on the cobs from one-duarter
to one-haif bushel of cotton seed prefer
ably crushed sufficiently to prevent sprout-
ing. Then, If convenient, fill one or more
OF the flve-feet compartments with rich
earth from beneath cedar trees where
fowls have roasted. If not convenient sur
race from beneath cedar trees of the for
est, mold, muck or other rich earth will
answer. IL muck be applied IL should be
thrown out and exposed to the air for sew
erai months before using The one-font
compartments are to be filed with rich
earth of any kind, no cobs being required
IN the bottom. The object of these small
compartments is to prevent the escape of
carbonic acid gas While the corn cobs
and cotton seed are undergoing decompo-
sit.on. large quantities of this gas will
be generated. 1t is possessed of valuable
fertilizer properties and, in addition there
to, IS a powerful solvent, and acts on GER
tain rebehous elements in the soil, reduc-
ing them to plant food. The gas is heav,
Ter than common air, and if the land Is
The least rolling II would follow the Germ
cobs to the lowest point. where it would
escape into the waste. Hence the neees-
sity for constructing dams to
hold it, and the one-foot com
partments serve as such dams
The partitions may be removed after the
trenches have been properly flied. Tho
trenches should be filled sufficiently to
form fiat ridges from four to
six inches above the surface
this arrangement being necessary
to allow for settling and to preven,
damage to the plants in case of very wet
weather. The seed should be planted mid
way the five feet compartments, and at
the proper time, thinned to one vine. Sin
gle vines in the trenches VIII thus stand
six feet apart The trenches should be
from twelve to twenty-four feet apart. IL
very wide, say twenty-four feet or more
a few rows of corn or cotton may be
planted between, leaving a space of five or
SIX feet on either side between said rows
and the melon rows. Ample space win
thus be provided for the vines to run out
and bear; they should be trained to run
outward at an early stage With the vines
close IN the trenches and the trenches
tWenty-fcur feet apart, the cost OF CON
structCn Will be much less than holes for
an equal number of vines. believe thar
single vines in trenches 4x24 feet would do
wei, mis- distance being about equivalent
70 ten feet square, but when heavily fer
tilted, IL may he better TO give then, siv
feet in the trenches. II Joint cron he
des rable the trenches are preferably con-
structed In line with the sun at O'clock
Facilities for observation-disclosures cannot
stand much wet nor much dry weather. a
mean between the two being best In ar
der to water readily, construct a tube of
81 , frss. .
one inch square; it should be sufficiently
long to reach above ground. Two of the
pieces at the lower end may be one inch
shorter than the others. Place one of
these tubes IN each OF the FIVE feet spaces
at any convenient point, the lower and
resting on the bottom of the trench. In
very dry weather water may be poured IN
at the top. The cobs a the bottom will
cause the water 70 circulate freely, thus
wetting the soil OF the entire compartment
without disturbing the surface A thor
ough wa tering will last a least two weeks
and two such .waterngs will insure a good
crop Of melons almost any season. This
arrangement Is especially desirable for late
melons, say for those planted about June
T. they being much more ant 10 he enc
short by dry weather than those planted
early.
\ Substitute for the Tubes. Construct
taperng stick Of proper size. sharpen tho
smalier END ana drive into the bottom OF
the trench. stand corncobs endwise around
the stick, two layers may be necessary. /
The cobs should be placed as the trench is |
filed Proceed thus until the cobs are car
ried above the surface of the trench. Ir |
need be, the cobs may be bound with
strings. After the trench has been proper |
" filed, withdraw the stick and there Is |
the tube. The construction may be such 1
as to conduct rainwater into the tubes. |
To effect this hole may be bored in the |
tube proper distance from the top. When |
The cobs and soil are properly saturated |
the supply should be cut of
Fertilizer.-A proper fertilizer should be |
used, but If cotton seed be employed. lit
lie or no additional nitrogen will be re-
luired. / therefore suggest the following
mixtures; Acid phosphate, parts: kainit. |