The Prescott daily news., 1921-04-09

ally in the aggregate, to the farmers of this section, consequently it is a thing of importance to consider, es- pecially just now. as we are approach ing the time of planting this import ant crop.
 If we could only get the attention and reach the mind and heart of ev- cry farmer who grows cantaloupes from year to year. and impress upon his mind the importance of growing better cantaloupes" we are sure many thousands of dollars could be saved. We have in this territory many farmers who know how to grow good cantaloupes and make d profit able yield, but compared with the large number who attempt to grow the cantaloupe in rather indifferent manner, and who never realize what is possible out of the crop, their num- bers are almost insignificant. How ever. the number of those who are making advancement in cantaloupe production-who are improving their methods-is rapidly increasing, but We cannot stop this campaign of "bet ter cantaloupes" until every grower is made to realize the importance of producing a first class product. Per haps we never will reach the acme of cantaloupe production when 1t comes to quality and yield. Neither will we ever learn to know all there is to be known about cantaloupe culture. and it must be conseded that our best and most successful growers still have good deal to learn.
 In many former articles we have tried to emphasize the importance Of early preparation of the soil, the in corporation. of humus, or vegetable matter in the soil, early planting etc, and we feel that these matters have not been oyer-emphasized, but sa far as this crop is concerned, the time is now past for the consideration of immediate importance
 We must assume that the soil has already been prepared, at least par tially. If the soil has not already been prepared, and the fertilizers dis tributed and the rows made up for receiving the seed, then at least one mistake has already been made, and a mistake that is hard to overcome, and the results will tell in the out come of the crop. One of the most important considerations connected with the growing of a good canta- loupe crop is getting q good stand quickly without any replanting. Poor stands often occur, and many times much replanting has to be done, re- sulting not only in a loss of time, but involving extra labor, besides the annoyance. In the majority of in- stances, poor stands can be traced to planting the seed on freshly pre- pared soil. A we'll setaed seed-bed planting seed, as the moisture is bet ter retained when the weather turns dry following the time of planting, and when heavy rains occur the seed are not packed down into the soil. Thus the advantages of having the soil we'll prepared and the fertilizers distributed several days in advance of planting the seed are obvious, and the growers who expect to reap the largest benefits should not fail in this particular.
 The question of the right kind of fertilizers, the time of application and the amounts used per acre, are among the most important factors in the production of profitable crop of cantaloupes We have repeatedly stressed these questions, and it is quite encouraging to observe that the number of growers who are awake to these problems is constantly increas- ing. At this date it is assumed that the grower already has his fertilizers applied, and as matter of fact. many have already planted canta- loupes If barnyard manure has not been used as literally as possible in the furrows previous to planting, and liberal application of commercial