The Fallon standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1920-1958, 1922-04-19
Methods of Growing Cantaloupes
Recommended by Farm Bureau
Preparation of Land for Crop


Preparation of Land for Crop
When possible we prefer to plow
in the Fall and replow in the Spring
but in some localities Fall plowing
of light soil followed by high winter
winds works injury to land by blow
ing away. This is determined by To-
cal conditions. Where Spring plow-
ing only is the plan, it should be
plowed fully month ahead of
planting time and if fair dressing
of well rotted manure can be spread
broadcast and well worked in after
plowing 1t will usually double the
crop. Surface application of manure
a month ahead of planting is better
than plowing it under.
Time of Planting
There comes a time in the Spring
when soil temperature changes rap
idly and we know when that time
comes by the action of vegetation.
We have learned that when the ap-
pie blooms or when the white oak
or hickory buds burst into leaves the
land is ready for melon seed. Then
for every weeks delay you will
probably lose in this latitude two
weeks in maturity. While the melon
vine makes its greatest daily growth
during the night, il makes its great
est progress and develops its best
fruit during the period of longest
] A. "A
started just right is often worth
double one that is a week later In
1919 our earliest fields planted
yielded daily pickings 64 days while
those planted ten days later cleaned
off in 40 days with a much lighter
yield. That is our usual experience.
Plan of Planting
Cantaloupes should not be plant
ed at a distance closer than will al
low "a to 25 square feet for each
plant. We have adopted a plan of
Axe feet on our best land on on our
poorest land 5x7 feet. Good smooth
hills should be made with a hoe at
least a foot across and slightly rails
ed If you have it, a shovel full of
well rotted manure worked thor
oughly into each hill will give the
plants a fine start and increase the
crop. Drop to 10 seeds on each
hill and cover with not more than
three-fourths inch of fine soil and
pat down firmly with the hoe. Then
in five or eight days go over the
field, dropping about four seeds on
each hill and pushing them in about
| three-fourths inch deep with the
thumb and cover lightly with the
hand. This plan will not iniure the
sprouted seed and provides for a
second set of plants following the
| first. preventing loss in case the first
planting should be killed by frost or
insects as it comes alb We ground.
As soon as the plants are all well
up the field should be thoroughly
cultivated with horse cultivation
running deep and should be we'll
hoed. This should be repeated at
| least once a week for three or four
weeks or until they begin to put out
runners. When the plants have ar
rived at the stage that the first pair
of rough leaves are the size of a sill
yer quarter, the hill should be thin
ned leaving the two best plants in
each hill. More than two plants will
be a damage to the crop.
As soon as runners form and
while less than a foot long the plan
of cultivation must change to very
| light surface cultivation as the main
roots are pushing through the soil
/ two to four inches under the sur
face even in advance of the runners
and any injury to these roots will
shorten the crop. From this stage
great care must be exercised to
avoid deep culture, deep hoeing or
moving of vines. Especially after a
vine begins to set fruit it is very i'm
patient of any movement. If moved
they will frequently shed the young
fruit. If it does not do that it will
surely reduce the size and depth of
| flesh of the melon as well as affect
its quality. When the vines reach
l Ilt StdBt lldl gOuhB hAtioho a. =
showing and plants covered with
fresh blooms each morning, they
should not be disturbed in any man
ner until you begin picking fruit.
Insects injurious to the eanta-
loupe in the order of their periods
of damage are: First, the cut worm.
We manage them by making a bran
mash at the rate of one pound Paris
Green to one bushel bran thorough
ly mixed with water few hours in
advance Then Just before the plants
come through spread it lightly not
more than one-half bushel to the
acre, spreading 1t after sunset, and
the chance is that every cutworm on
that land will be gone before morn
ing and cease to trouble. A quart
of cheap molasses mixed with each
bushel makes it especially attractive
to them.