Bogalusa enterprise and American. (Bogalusa, La.) 1918-19??, 1922-02-23
Facts Growers Should
Know About Watermelons

In view of the fact that farmers
of Washington parish expect to plant
and harvest a large crop of water
melons this year, Felix Bachemin,
agricultural agent of the New Or
leans Great Northern Railroad Com
pany, has gathered the following in
teresting facts about the planting and
harvesting Of melons.
Mr.. Bachemin was formerly farm
agent for st. Tammany parish and is
we'll acquainted with soil conditions
in this section and his advice will be
of value to the many farmers who
are making their first attempt to
produce watermelons for the market.
Soil - Wstermelons are usually
grown on sand ridges or knobs, where
the drainage is good, rather than on
the rich, darker level, sandy bottom
lands between the knobs or close to
river beds. Often the watermelon
lands are in the vicinity of rivers,
but are usually at considerable dis
tance above the level of the water.
Preparation Of Land - Little labor
is required to prepare sandy land for
the planting of watermelons. A strip
two or three burrows wide is plowed
at planting time, where each row is
to be placed, and the intervening
space plowed later. However, the
whole piece may be plowed the same
as for planting any other crop. Usu-
ally single shallow burrows are also
plowed crossways of the field to
mark the rows so that the melons
can be planted in checks. The dis
tance of planting varies in different
localities. Ten by ten is common
distance.
Fertilizers-Us from 800 to 1000
pounds of fertilizer Analysing about
1898. Best results will be obtained
If half the ammonia is derived from
n quickly available source. If a mix
ture of meal and acid is used, mix
cottonseed meal to one sack 16 per
cent acid phosphate. Stable manure
is good fertilizer, but caution must
be taken that manure is well rotted.
Seed-Only the very best seed
should be used. Usually two to four |
pounds will plant an acre, depending |
upon the amount of seed planted in |
the hill. Most growers place ten to |
twelve seeds in the hill, though the |
vines are thinned down to enc, or at |
the most, two in a place, before they |
commence to run.
Planting-Plant early as all dan
ger from killing frost is passed. The |
planting season usually extends from |
the latter part of February up to |
April. Planting around the 10th Of |
March is recommended for this sec
ton.
ultivation-Wa termelons are usu- |
ally cultivated with a regular one or |
two-horse cultivator. If the entire |
field has been plowed previous to
planting, the space between the rows
also is cultivated with the same tool,
tillage given in both directions. |
Hand-hoeing is necessary in the pro-
duCtiOn of a good crop Of watermel- |
'Ons. 1t is unwise to turn watermelon |
wines or otherwise disturb them after |
the fruit has set. The last cultiva-
ton close to the plant is given just
before the melons begin to form.
Insect Controi-The striped Gu
scumber beetle is the most destructive
of all insect pests. The melon louise
is also very troublesome. Nicotine
sulfate will destroy all sucking in
sects. The chewing insects can be
controlled with arsenate of lead.
Five pounds Of paste to each hundred
gallons of water.
Marketing-Since small melons
are not wanted in most markets, and
buyers are likely to reject melons I'M
der 16 pounds in weight, it is wise
Tor growers to use every effort to
product large-sized melons. A car
load of melons that average SO
pounds each will sell better than a
carload averaging 10 pounds each.
When the market becomes well sup
piled, the smallers melons are the
least in demand. Load always in
clean ventilated or stock cars. Never
load in a dirty car. Place about 10
to II inches of pine straw on the
bottom of the car. Place every melon
carefully in its place Examine every
melon for rotten or soft spots and
do not put a defective melon in car.
Remember that a melon once cut
from the vine remains as it is. It
never ripens in transit. A ripe melon
is luxury; a green melon is some
thing unfit to eat.
An average estimate on loading
melons in a car is as follows. A car
"a feet long will load about 1900
melons of 20 pounds each and about
900 melons Of 80 pounds each. A
car 30 feet long will load 1000 melons
of Is pounds each, 140O melons Of
20 pounds each, 1900 melons of "a
pounds each and $50 melons of 80
pounds each.
FELIX BACHEMIN, JR.,
Agricultural Agent.
905 Whitney Central Bldg,