The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-30

The Luscious CantuIoupe.


OF annual fruits. whether tree or
vine, there is nothing more sought
after in the heated time of summer
than the luscious cantaloupe. In it's
perfection there is nothing superior
TO it.
In the past few years the variety
known as the ROCKFORD" seems to
have cut out for itself a universal
right of way in this country, but it
is far from being the only melon
worth growing. There were many
good kinds years before the Rocky
ford came upon the scene. The nut
meg" famous for nearly half a CEN
fury, is a much superior melon to it.
The nettell gem is as good or better.
The Nixon is good enough. The
banquet" is superior to the Rocky
ford. Several others might be named
that are in every respect equal to
the sort more generally planted. Still
the Rockyford has qualities that rec
ommend it as a market melon, and it
will probably be popular for a num-
Der of years yet.
The melons are small and of uni
form size. The vines do not make a
rank growth, and after the melons set
they ripen up rapidly and allow of the
land being planted to some other crop.
Use care to get the best seed pos
siblc. There is much inferior seed Of
fered to buyers every year, and that
are not worth planting.
If at all practicable save your own
seed, selecting healthy looking vines
that bear a number of uniform sized
melons. Let the melons get fully ripe
on the vines before pulling them, but
do not allow them to get dead ripe
or at all soft.
The seeds should be thoroughly dried
and put away in paper bags that can
be hung up exposed to dry air so
that they will not mold.
Much of the blight or mold in vine
plants is owing to defect in the seeds.
Any good corn or sweet potato land
will make good melonS-the cleaner 1t
is the better, of course. The maxi
mum number of melons per acre is
possible with the rows five feet apart
and vine left every two or two and
one-half feet in the row or from 400
to 1890 vines to the acre.
This is close planting-much closer
than the average practice, but not
too close on rich grey soil, such as
would make 400 bushels of potatoes or
seventy-five bushels of corn.
This close planting should imply the
most thorough preparation of the soil
so that the least cultivation of the
crop possible will be called for The
cultivation must keep ahead so that
there will be no need for disturbing
the vines after they are fifteen or eigh-
teen inches long. The vines cannot be
turned and handled like so many sweet
potato vines. By keeping ahead of the
growing vines with the plow
and hoe there should be no grass
to kill after the vines have begun to
runt Give them a clean bed as they
begin to bloom, and the melons will
take care of themselves. A little later
there may be few weeds to be pulled
If they should spring up close to the
vines in the hill. There is no crop
that requires more regard for nice
preparation of the soil and prompt
working of the crops Immediately it
comes up than melons. There is no
necessity for allowing the crop to be-
come weedy. The grass and weeds
must be destroyed before they come
up to make melon growing a pleasing
business.
The melon ground should have at
least two good plowings-three would
be better generally-before the seeds
are given to it. On ordinary pine-land
soil two plowings will do very well
when it is entirely free from Bermuda
grass. The seed bed should be fairly
compact at planting, and it is far bet
ter to plant upon soil that has been
settled by rain than in soil just plow-
ed. Loose soil should be well rolled
that is, the seed bed, either just be-
fore or just after planting the seeds
Lay off very shallow drills and SOW
the seed thinly along in the drill. Cover
and roll, or drop. two, or sew every
two or two and one-half feet in drill
and push them down into the loose
soil with the foot, flirting just enough
soil on them to cover them. When in
third leaf thin down to a stand.
Do not use fresh stable manure on
cantaloupes, but rather any good COM
plete fertilizer broadcasted along the
bed just before or just after planting
With good seeds on soil such as de-
scribed, and the preparation and cul-
tivation highly intensive, 5000 mer-
charitable melons is not an impossible
crop. F'irst-class seeds will be readily
salable, too, for a number of years t.
come