The Savannah morning news., 1901-03-25

The beginner in melon growing is apt
to make one of two errors or both Of
them, either of which will surely end in
bitter disappointment, blasting all of his
hopes for a bountiful harvest says w.
NJ. Girardeau in Fruit Grower The first
is, that as a melon is made up Of about
S. per cent. of water. that a nice piece
of damp. sobby land is the best that
can be selected. Nothing can be further
from the right thing. Melons will do abb
solutely nothing on damp undralned land,
and nothing ruins or blights a melon crop
so quickly as continuous rains. The
melon will stand more hot, dry weather
than even our cotton; it fiourishcs in dry
weather and grows luxurianty week after
week without a drop of rain; a shower
now and then is all 1t requires. Plant
only on high, well drained land. The
second error that all fall into. and many
will be convinced only from bitter expe-
rience, is that melons should never be
planted on land where melons have pre-
viously grown. ] say, never, because I
have not grown melons long enough (hf-
teen years. for me to be convinced that
they will ever do well a second time on
the same land, at any rate / will not
put the limit at less than twenty years
rest for the land after the first crop. be-
fore second crop can be successfully
grown again. Some time since / asked
an old melon grower OF Southwest Geor-
gia If he had made up his mind how long
the land should rest before second crop
could be safely planted2 His reply was, II
have had some costly experience along
this line, and have about concluded that
as far as am concerned, land once pro-
ducing a fine crop Of melons Will never
be planted again by me, for my limits OF
time for rest is one hundred years, and
could hardly hope TO see the time that
| would be willing to plant again" Now
my advice to all beginners IL, do not let
any argument tempt you to ever plant
melons where they have grown before:
you will find hundreds Of people who will
tell you that they have grown, three,
four. five and six successive crops Of
melons on the same land, and that the
last was the best. ] believe these fell
lows think they are telling the truth, but
don't throw away any money by trying
TO prove that they are rlght-let the ex-
perience OF old melon growers OF South
west Georgia and Middle Florida be SUM-
cient-they will tell you not to attempt
II.
I see that some parties are distributing
circulars all over the state advising mel
on growers not TO plant seed grown in
Florida. These parties either do not
know any better, or they have an ak 10
grind. In going into the seed business
themselves. and have a lot of very choice
seed OF their own selection, which they
might be prevailed upon to part with
for valuable consideration.
A tropical country II the home OF tho
watermelon, and the nearer you get 10
the tropics. the nearer 20 perfection you
will nnd the melon. What would you
think Of the man who told you that you
should by All means got your orange buds
from the hot houses Of Boston. Mass. or
Rochester, ~ ~ that they should come
from She extreme North 10 produce good
oranges ID FloridaY Nov foi proof that
these parties are in error u D. nn open
secret among the aee1mcn thai Southern
grown melon seed fnnd he fartbsr south
iha hftiefl ere much better chan North
efu ~ Wfatfru.Hr0un fee1 ana they ore