Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-02-27
MELON 1naesnlNo TIME.
A NEW INDUSTRY AMONG THE FARMERS
FARMERS ON THE KANSAS PLAINS.

This ID watermelon year In Ksusas.
The. zelda that seem good for nothing In
ordinary seasons are producing great,
luscious melons that are the wonder OF
the local newspapers, and furnish more
refreshment than the gatherings on the
rear steps Of the court house can Dis
pose OF. Prices which early In the sea.
son were rs cents straight" have gone
down and down ~ the melons grew
larger aud more numerous, until they
have become 1.-TWO for = Nickel" or any
thing that the buyer would give. The
melons have attained 40 enormous sizs,
too. Whole wagon loads, In which the
melons average 30 pounds In weight, are
common In the central and western
towns, while the king melon, raised at
Clifton and carefully shipped to the st.
Louis market, ID said to have weighed
l07 pounds.
The men who raise melons for the
seed Hnd Il q very profitable undertake
Ing. They utilize the level fields and
get from q few acres "a much as 0rdi-
narily they could from Il quarter section
by the usual coursa Of farming. The
object Of the crop being to secure seed
they do not give the tlllsge necessary In
producing melons for market, but, new
ertheless have enormous yields.
During this month IL the threshing-s
unique experience on the plains. Two
kinds Of machines are used, both OF the
same principle-one run by hand and
the other by horse power. The thresher
has for its basis large cylinder, from
the surface OF which project many small
iron spikes, intended TO tear and break
the melon. This cylinder IL set at the
bottom of = hopper, into which the
melons are thrown from wagons. Lead
Ing from the cylinder IL . large sieve
bottom inclined carrier, over which the
mingled melon pulp and rinds are
worked, the finer portion, with the seeds,
passing through and falling TO the
ground, the rinds and pieces OF vines
being shoveled out to heap ~ refuse.
The melons are cut several days be-
fore the threshing, and are allowed TO
begin To decay, so that they may be
more easily broken and the seeds come
out with less difficulty. The pulp.
which comes through the sieve, Ia placed
10 vat or tank, where wster Ia added,
sud the whole mass 10 left TO ferment.
In this process the seeds sink TO the
bottom, and the pulp, which remains on
top, IL ladled out, the seeds washed, then
sprtad on sheets In the sun 10 dry. The
pile Of rinds, when It becomes too large
for comfort, IL not moved-the thresh-
ing machine IL changed to 3 new loca-
tion. The machine ls run easily by two
horses with tumbling rod attachment.
The seeds are sold TO the Chicago and
Eastern wholesale seed dealers. The
price varies from to 10 cents pound
this year, being rather low on account
of the large yield. The yield TO the
acre runs from $50 to 800 pounds, which,
~ the land 10 worth only q or less,
makes good return. With an income
OF SIS, and the cost OF raising estimated
At es to ola an acre, giving fair wages
for all work, this makes one OF the most
profitable crops that the Western Kan
sas prairie lands can raise. In addition
to the melons threshed for seed there
are q few hundred TO be sold for eat
ing, often making quite an addition to
the returns OF the year. II IL estimated
by the farmers engaged that the crop Ia
far better than any Of the grains when
the price Il an average one. as there is
seldom failure.-Kansas City Star.