St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1907-03-16
with the soil.
CULTIVATION.

AS we stated before, the cultlva"
ton of vatermelons IS neither diff.
cult nor expensive. Plow your
ground well broadcast; harrow un-
til in fine tilth; now lay off your
ground about twelve feet each way
with a shovel plow, and at each
turning apply your fertilizer. Mix
well and raise o slight hill with a
hoe, and then proceed to plant your
seed, using about nine seed to each
hill allowing three for the birds
and three to grow.
When plants show third or fourth
leaf. hoe the bills we'll and follow
with double shovel cultivator and
harrow between the rows. Keep
the top of the soil loose to retain
moisture until the vines begin to
run in earnest; then stop cultiva-
tion altogether. It. is no disadvau-
tage to allow some grass to grow
after the melons are setting. Many
old growers say it is better, and we
quite agree with them.
WHAT Is THE BEST SIZE TO GROW?
From a commercial standpoint
the markets do not take kindly to
large. over grown watermelons, and
this IS true of all other fruits and
vegetables. A Car of watermelons
averaging from twenty to thirty
pounds each sells to better adVan"
tage than 8 Car of ten to tifteen-
und-average or Car of forty to
fifty pound average. Medium size
fruits and vegetables Is what the
market wants, and it is of impor-
tance to conform to market re-
quirements to insure profits.
LOADING.
Watermelons should be loaded
in ventilated ears. Clean stock
care are as good as any. Never
load 10 a dirty car. Place about
ten inches Of straw, hay or pine
straw on the bottom of car. Now
place every melon carefully and
snugly in its place, commencing at
the ends Of the car and
finishing at the doors. Allow no
one to walk over the melons. Load
the car about one-haIf or less IN
height When loading, carefully
examine every melon for soft
places. Throw out every one that
shows any defect. 1t is better to
throw away at loading point than to
throw away at the receiving, after
paying freight charges on the
melons.
GREEN MELONS.
We find in our travels among the
commission merchants that there is
a very general cOmplsint that many
carloads of watermelons from the
South early in the season are cut
too green. The shippers are too
hasty. a ripe milon is a luxury; a
green melon is a disappointment;
and the melons must be ripe to be
bealthful and salable. Therefore,
ship only matured melons. Many
fruits will ripen in transit, but a
watermelon once cut from the vine
remains az it is.
HOW TO TELL A RIPE MELON.
Most experienced melon. .pickers
can tell ripe melon from its looks.
Others look for the curl near the
melon to see if it is dead. Some
squeeze the melon to hear it crack
this test Injuries the melon for
shipping. The best test we have
ever found is to sound the melon
with snap Of the finger. II the
sound is hollow and rings, the
melon is sure to be green. II the
sound is fat and dead. the melon is
ripe. Snap the top Of your shoe;
If the melon sounds the same, it is
sure to be ripe.
PROFITS.
A car of watermelons brings any,
where from $50 to $3.50 per car,
depending on earlIness and quality.
One acre should produce from one
to two cars.
ThaW Trial,
On the first day Of the States case in
rehnftal af the trial nf Harry X. Thaw.