The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-29

the market demands. For several years
what is commonly called the Rocky Ford
has been the only eanteloupe grown IN
large quantities for market and 1t still
holds 1t wonderful popularity, and so
there is no use in wasting time to grow
any other variety for shipping for our
city markets. However, one must be very
careful about buying seed, and buy only
from parties of unquestioned reputation.
This variety has become so popular ana
the demand for seed is so great that
lots of poor inferior seed has been sold
for genuine Rocky Ford, which was mix
ed so badly as to be almost worthless.
The grower cannot afford to take any
chances on poor seed after all the other
expenses of preparing for a crop have
been met
Rocky Ford.
A little history of the Rocky Ford
canteloupes would come In all right here
for we are so often asked what the
Rocky Ford canteloupe is or why 1t Is
so nam I'd. Really, the true name for
this canteloupe is Melted Gem" This
Melted Gem" canteloupe was planted "A
few years ago at Rocky Ford, COLI,
where it became SO popular II, epnsc-
| quence of the fact that the soil climate
| and all other conditions suited for its
greatest development and perfection. But
! this fact together with the fact that for
some years Rocky Ford has had the mar
| ket almost entirely on this fine melon,
does not prove that this is the only sec
ton where the fine Melted Gem cantc-
/ loIpes may be grown.
Repeated later experiments have proven
that we have many other sacticYs capable
of growing just rs fine qualify Of cante-
| loupes as can be grown in Colorado.
| Then. too we have so many localities
where they may be grown and marketed
! aYifa tlafa u,
| Colorado
| Alabama. Texas and Arkansas are all
now growing as fine canteloupes as cafi
| be found anywhere in the United States,
and the great advantage of these states
| in growing canteloupes is, that they can
get them on the market so early that
thew are out Of the way of crops which
are grown farther north
1t would be well to call these cante-
oupes by their original name, "Nettoo
Gem instead of giving the name Rocky
Ford.
| In conclusion would say buy good seed
plant in good soils, give good cultivation.
follow out to a letter the advice gwen
in this paper and you will succeed in
| growing fine canteloupcs.
CanteIoupes For Young Orchards.
Here is another very inDp. tant mat
| ter in connection with cantal.lae grow
/ ing. This bulletin will come into ne llends
| of hundreds of farmers who are planting
out young orchards-apple and peach
trees. Now the question with many OF
these fruit growers has been and is yet.
a question of what may be grown be-
tween the young fruit trees in order 10
economlze labor and have the soil pro-
duce some paying crops before the fruit
trees come into bearing. or before they
need the entire soil for their develop
| ment?
| Now no better crops could be used for
this purpose than the canteloupe and Gu
oumber. Vines Of these crops give TO the
soil just the needed shade that all or
| chard soils so badly need and require IN
order to have the trees make strong and
| healthy growth. For the first two years
| after the trees are planted these vine
| crops may be grown to great advantage
! as well as profit as 1t requires very little
| more cultivation for the trees with the
| vines between them than will be required
! without them so that In the hundreds OF
/ acres of young orchards found all along
| the line of the Frisco system, as well as
| in many other sections. there can and
should be cars Of canteloupes, cucumbers
| for pickles as well as Ar tomatoes for
| canning grown in these tung orchards.