The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-19
CLIFFORD =. KEMPTON.

kY success in growing canta-
MI loups I attribute to having
4 " i devoted much OF my time
for years to the development
of this one special fruit. BY careful
selection from year to year of the best
specimens obtainable, l have succeeded
in producing a strain Of the Usage type
OF melon, netting me, on an average.
80 cents each In barrel lots and handed
by practically all of the best hotels in
New York and throughout New Eng
land. specifying them in their menus
as the "Longmcadow cantaloup'
Planting perfect melon seeds does not
constitute all that is necessary to OBJ
tain perfect melons, but II goes n long
way toward II and without good seed
It Is an impossibil!ty. My methods of
Culture do not as a rule, vary greatly
from those generally in vogue with
melon growers. but there are details
in the following courses OF treatment.
which have found. II neglected, invite
partial failure more or less of the
entire crop.
Making the Hiils.
After thorough preparation of the
soil, the deeper the better. and rows
marked Off at right angles. 6 feet apart
each way, We hoe out the earth at the
!ntersecting points. making holes about
Is inches In diameter and inches deep,
into which we place onc-quarter TO one
half shovelful OF well rotted manure.
We now replace about II. inches of
earth, tread this down. plant about %
melon seeds. cover with not less than
/ inch OF earth and leave the ground
as nearly level az possible.
Our first paintings are made in the
open ground a. early az possible in
this latitude. the time varying from
May 10 to Is; occasionally later, should
the soil then be too cold for seed
| to geminate
! As soon as tho plants appear above
ground they are busted With air slakcc
! lime, or lime plaster, to prevent tho
! little striped beetle from devourlng the
/ leaves. A little kerosene sprinliled II
| the plaster the day before using per
meates the entire mass and makes 4
more effective. Should rains wash of
this plaster while the plants are younl
1t will be necessary to repeat the opera
ton.
Cut worms are another enemy w
have to deal with at this time. especial,
| On tuII isilu mar ali'
hedgerows To prevent their ravages
we mix thoroughly about a pound %
paris green with half barrel OF whea
! bran--the exact proportions are no
important--then stir well into this abou
a quart of molasses and sufficient waite
to mosten the whole. so that it vii
crumble but not be sloppy. We appl,
this by sprink,ing about the plant
| hrn, Hno Of tho fol
before they appear. She uld there b.
objections to the use of paris green
the sweetened bran alone will be bone
Hctal. II kept constantly fresh. tho
worms preferring such "a meal to tn
| succulent young plants
II Is always an uncertainty whethe
these earliest out OF door paintings ar
going To pull through or succumb
the climate Of tho latter days of Ma,
To overcome this difficulty We MOI
successfully plant the seed during tn
last week Of April In strawberry bias
kets filled with a rich loan or con
post. The baskets arc kept in III
! greenhouse or hotbed until the midd
of May. then removed to n cold fran
or somewhere outside where they ca
be hardened of and yet protected {
night and on cold and rainy days.
TransplRntinE From Cold Frames
About June /. or earlier should II
weather promise to he mild enoug
we transplant the young melon plan
TO the open ground. Before doing thi
. however We drench the plants wit
water and then wait for an hot
or two until they drain and the cart
becomes the right consistency for hai
y ding We now take the baskets to II
: field and cut two of the top corner
:. thereby letting the baskets fall apal
enabling us to remove the blocks
earth and plant thctn In the hills wit
: out disturbing the earth about Il
roots. II IL vitality important to do tn
carefully, for should the roots he mu,
! disturbed the plants arc sure to W