The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-22

before making any arrangements what
ever for handling the crop.
Two years ago | had occasion to visit
| two cantaloupe growers associations, only
one hundred miles apart. One of these
| had provided everything ahead for the
marketing of the crop; this crop reached
the market in good time and in good
condition and brought to the growers
$500 per acre. The other association had
800 acres of eanta1oupes ready to market
when | reached them and no preparation
had been made for handling the fruit
Here / found this 800 acres of ripe can
taloupes ready to market and only seven
teen crates in sight. The result was that
they lost their entire crop and until this
day these growers will contend that there
is no money in growing cantaloupes, while
the first association mentioned has been
going right along each year making from
$50 to $500 per acre out Of the crops.
[ want to call the attention of the reader
to the history and success of Rocky Ford
as an object lesson as to what can be
made out of the cantaloupe crop. There
are now growers at Rocky Ford who
pay an annual cash rent for land on
| which to grow cantaloupes a sum greater
than the same land would have sold for
before the cantaloupe industry was start
ed here. This shows what organization,
cooperation and education will accom-
not only in cantaloupe growing, but for
all crops
The cantaloupe is one of the best OF
foods for the mich COW and hogs, so
every farmer should keep cows and hogs
to eat all the inferior fruits that are I'M
nt for shipment There Is usually what
we call tho tail end" of the crop which
It will not pay to ship. These can be fed
to the milk COWS and hogs. In most sec
tions where the cantaloupe Is grown the
crop can be sold off In time for growing
some other crop on the same land, and
perhaps there is no better crop or one
that would pay better than crop of COW
peas and sorghum for hay
The profits, as alluded to above, that
may be expected from a cantaloupe crop
range from $50 to $500 per /cre, all de-
pending upon how well the crop is grown
and how it is handled after it Is ma
tured
In concluding this chapter on canta-
loupes, | desire TO call the attention OF
the reader to the fact that In our south
err states are to be found the greatest
vine growing sections Of the world. whore
not only cantaloupes but cucumbers, wa
termelons and all other vine crops may be
grown to perfection. Further information
regarding the sections best suited for
these crops will be given upon request.
The watermelon also properly belongs
to the list of the truck farmers crops.
This has been one Of the best paving
crops in many sections. The watermelon
Is a tender annual, more easily Injured by
cold than either the cucumber or can
taloupe, SO should not be planted until all
danger of cold has passed and the nights
become hot.
WatermeIons.
Tho watermelon succeeds best on a
deep, rich, sandy loan soil, though fine
melons can be grown on most all OF our
clay soils by using good supply OF well
rotted compost. The fertilizer should be
worked into the soil few weeks before
planting time. and the soil should be
made very fine and should be cultivated
once a week until time to plant the crop
This cultivation should begin early In
the spring Before leaving the question
Of fertilizers, / wish to relate AN expert
ence had several years ago, when was
growing waterneions for the seed. 1 was
very short on manure. The land selected
was a black, heavy soil with but little
sand and with rather a stiff clay SUBJ
soil, which came within a few inches of
the surface.
This land that season would have with
good cultivation produced twenty to
thirty bushels OF corn per acre At this
time 1t so happened that a neighbor had
oyer 100 wagon loads of well rotted ma
nure lying around his barn. There had
been no manure hauled from this barn
for years. | did not chance to see this
manure pile until my melon plants were
up. Speaking OF my regrets for this, my
neighbor said: II should be glad to have
you haul that manure out of the way |
kept thinking of that manure pile for sew
eral days, wondering how | could get get
Il out on my land for then | way right
I'm the midst Of crop work
Fortunately a family moving west
came along and camped on a little creek
| nearby TO rest their team and get work
for a few weeks before resuming their
Journey | was able to hire this mar to
haul out that manure. The melons were