_Soil and Location._--The soil for muskmelons must be well drained
and contain an abundance of humus and readily available plant food.
If these conditions are met, it matters little what the particular
type of soil may be. A knoll or ridge sloping gently to the south and
protected by timber on the north and west furnishes an ideal site
for melons. Such a location will usually produce earlier melons than
a north or west slope and is better than a level area because the
soil dries out more quickly after a rain, thus permitting more timely
tillage in a wet season, and resulting in the production of melons of
better flavor. It is only in dry seasons that low, flat land, unless
thoroughly tile-drained, produces good melons. The condition of the
soil in reference to its supply of humus has a marked influence upon
the welfare of the melon crop. Because of its abundance of humus, newly
cleared timber land is well adapted to melon culture, but is difficult
to work on account of the stumps and roots. Land slightly deficient in
humus can be put in condition for growing melons by plowing under a
clover sod, or a crop of cowpeas or rye, or a coat of manure applied
broadcast. If melons are to be grown as one of the crops in a regular
rotation, they should constitute the crop immediately following the
leguminous crop designed to add humus and nitrogen to the soil. In
regions where winter wheat and clover are grown, a rotation of wheat,
clover and melons is highly satisfactory. Another good rotation would
be: oats, clover, melons, corn. In regions where clover does not thrive
and wheat and oats are not grown, a rotation of corn, cowpeas, and
melons may be employed, or the rotation extended by seeding to grass
after the melons are harvested. Even with careful attention to rotation
and the incorporation of humus by plowing under catch crops or manure,
ordinary farm land--including good corn land--is not sufficiently rich
to produce a satisfactory crop of melons without the use of fertilizing
material in the hills. It is only on garden soil that has been made
exceedingly rich by repeated applications of manure, that it is wise to
attempt to grow melons without special treatment of the hills.
_Manure for the Hills._--The manure for use in the melon hills is
ricked up in the fall in long low piles, about eight feet wide and
two or three feet deep. The sides of the pile are made as nearly
perpendicular as possible and the top is flattened so that rains will
soak in instead of running off. Sometimes a layer of dirt about three
inches deep is placed on top of the manure to help retain the moisture.
Early in the spring, work is commenced on the manure to put it in
condition for use. The pile must be cut down and the manure turned and
mixed until it is thoroughly decomposed and of fine texture. Formerly
this work was done by hand with a fork, and entailed a large amount
of labor. Now some of the large growers do all this turning of the
manure with a disk and plow. The pile is worked three or four times at
intervals of one or two weeks.
_Time of Planting._--The melon is a warm season crop, and unless the
soil is warm and the weather favorable the seeds will not germinate nor
the plants grow. It is therefore usually unwise to plant in advance of
the normal season in the hope of securing an early crop. Occasionally,
such plantings do well, but usually the stand is poor, necessitating
much replanting, and the early plants which do survive are likely to be
so badly stunted by reason of the cool weather that they do not mature
their crop much in advance of the later plantings which have had the
benefit of warm weather from the start.
_Preparations for Planting._--Melon ground should be plowed early in
the spring, or replowed if it was broken in the fall. After plowing,
it should be thoroughly pulverized by the use of a disk or harrow, or
both, and then kept in good, friable condition by occasional working
until planting time arrives. Shortly before planting is to begin,
the field should be furrowed out both ways with a single-shovel plow
or a one-horse turning plow. The furrows should be about six inches
deep, and as far apart as the hills are to be placed. On some soils
melon vines make only a moderate growth and the hills may be planted
as close as four feet apart each way; but on rich soil, where they
make a stronger growth, they should be at least five by five, and
in some cases six by six. After the land is furrowed out the rotted
manure is applied at the intersections of the furrows. From a quart
to a half-peck of manure is used for each hill, depending upon the
quality of the manure and also the quantity available. The manure is
dropped into the bottom of the furrow, and either mixed thoroughly
with the soil there, and covered with a layer of pure soil in which
to plant the seed, or is merely covered with the soil without any
mixing. The latter method seems to give fully as good results as the
former, especially when a small quantity of manure is used, and is a
great saving of labor. In either case, especial care should be taken to
compact the soil over the manure so that when the seed is planted it
will not suffer from lack of moisture by reason of any vacant air space
in or about the mass of manure. Sometimes the manure is covered with
soil by merely plowing a furrow on each side of the furrow containing
the manure, but unless the soil is in exceedingly fine condition, this
method is not as satisfactory as using a hoe and giving each hill
individual attention. In making the hill, some planters compact the
soil with the hoe, while others use the feet. When ready for planting,
the hill should be practically level with the general surface of the
field. If too low, the hill will become water-soaked in case of rain
and the seeds or plants injured; if too high, there is likely to be
insufficient moisture to insure proper germination and growth.
_Planting the Seed._--If the hills have been made more than a few
minutes before the seed is dropped, the top layer of dry soil should be
scraped aside with a hoe so that the seed may be placed in immediate
contact with moist soil. The area thus prepared for planting the seed
should be at least six inches across, and should be smooth and level.
From ten to fifteen seeds should be scattered uniformly over this area,
and covered with about half an inch of fine, moist soil. This should
be firmed with the back of the hoe and then covered with a sprinkle of
loose dirt to serve as a mulch. If a heavy rain packs the top of soil
and a crust is formed before the plant appears, it is wise to go over
the field and carefully break the crust over each hill by means of a
garden rake. The method of preparing the hills and planting the seed
described above applies to field rather than garden conditions and to
soils of medium rather than excessive fertility. In a market garden
where the soil is exceedingly rich as a result of repeated manuring for
onions or cabbage, and is in fine tilth, it is a common practice to sow
the melon seed in drills six to eight feet apart, by means of a garden
seed drill. This is done without any special preparation of the soil
where the plants are to stand, or application of fertilizing material
other than manure applied broadcast before plowing.
_Thinning._--While ten to fifteen seeds are planted per hill for the
sake of insuring a full stand, only two, or at most three, plants are
left to make the crop. Thinning is usually deferred until the plants
have become fully established, and the struggle against the striped
beetle is nearly over. However, the plants must be thinned before they
begin to crowd badly, or those which are to remain will be stunted in
growth. Usually the thinning is completed by the time the plants have
four rough leaves. If the seed has been well scattered in planting,
so that each plant stands apart by itself, the superfluous plants may
be pulled with the fingers, but extreme care must be taken to avoid
disturbing the roots of the remaining plants. Sometimes the plants are
cut off with a knife or shears, instead of being pulled, and thus all
danger of disturbing the roots is avoided. If the seeds have been sown
with a drill as in market gardening practice, the plants are usually
thinned to one in a place at distances of two to two and one-half feet
in the row.
_Transplanting._--Since it is impossible to increase the earliness of
the crop to any great extent by early planting in the field, growers
have adopted the transplanting method. This makes it possible to plant
the seed three or four weeks earlier than would otherwise be feasible,
and to grow the plants under controlled conditions of temperature and
moisture during their most critical period. It also simplifies the
matter of protection from striped beetles. The main objections to this
method are the expense for sash, and the difficulties attending the
transplanting. A melon plant will not survive transplanting if the root
system is disturbed. For this reason the seed is sown on inverted sod,
in pots or in dirt bands. The dirt bands are used almost exclusively by
commercial growers. These are thin strips of wood veneer, three inches
wide and eighteen inches long, scored at intervals of four inches so
that they can be bent without breaking. When folded ready for use, each
band resembles a small strawberry box without the bottom. These bands
are placed close together in a hotbed and filled level full with fine,
rich soil. With a block of wood shaped for the purpose, the soil within
the bands is pressed until it is 1/2 to 3/4 inch below the top of the
band. If only part of the dirt is put in at first, and is pressed down
firmly, then the rest of the dirt put on and pressed, the soil in the
band will be more compact throughout and will hold together better in
the transplanting than if the dirt were pressed only once. Unless the
soil used was very moist, the bed is then thoroughly watered. Next,
three seeds are placed in each band. These are covered with fine, loose
soil deep enough to fill the band. This soil is not firmed. The hotbed
for melon plants should have full exposure to light and be maintained
at a high temperature--about 85 degrees F. during the day and 65 to 70
degrees at night. As much ventilation should be given as the weather
will permit, and care exercised to avoid overwatering. As soon as the
plants are well started, they are thinned to two in a band by cutting
off the extra plant with a sharp knife. When the plants are about four
weeks old from the planting of seed they will be in the right condition
for transplanting to the field. They are then compact, stocky plants
with about four rough leaves. If allowed to remain longer in the bed
they begin to stretch for light and are of little value for planting,
for the long naked stems, unable to support themselves and unaccustomed
to direct sunlight, would easily be sun-burned, and the plants
seriously checked if not killed outright.
_Cultivation._--Whether the melons are transplanted from a hotbed or
grown from seed planted in the field, the tillage of the crop should
begin as soon as the plants can be seen. In the case of transplanted
plants, this will be the same day that they are set in the field.
The early tillage should be deep, and as close to the plant as it is
feasible to run the cultivator. The object of this deep tillage is to
establish a deep root system so that the plants will not suffer so
severely from dry weather later in the season. In the case of a field
planted crop it is not feasible to cultivate so close to the plants
early in the season because of the danger of tearing out the little
plants. For this deep tillage a one-horse five-shovel cultivator, often
weighted with a rock, is the tool most commonly used. It is customary
to follow this with a "boat" or a 14-tooth cultivator to more fully
pulverize the soil. Tillage is usually given after each rain or at
least once each week so that the soil is maintained in a loose friable
condition. In addition to the cultivation with a horse, much hand
hoeing is required close about the plants. Any crust forming after
a rain, is broken, and fresh, moist soil drawn up about the plant.
Crab grass and weeds appearing in the hill are removed by hand. Most
growers cease tillage and lay-by the crop as soon as the vines have
run enough to interfere with the cultivator. The experience of a few
growers who have turned the vines and kept them in windows so that
tillage could be continued until the picking season opened, indicates
that a departure from the old method is likely to insure better
development of the melons and a longer picking season, though the first
fruits may not ripen so early. There is another distinct advantage in
this turning of the vines, in that the gathering of the crop is greatly
facilitated and there is no injury to the vines from tramping.
_Seed._--No matter what variety of melon is grown, it is extremely
important that pure seed be planted if good melons are to be produced.
The melon deteriorates very rapidly under careless methods of seed
selection. None but the very choicest specimens of the desired type,
from productive vines, should be selected for seed. It is unsafe to cut
seed from a field in which more than one variety of melon is grown;
for seed from such a field would likely be very badly mixed, and the
product undesirable for market. If a grower has sale for all his good
melons, it may be cheaper for him to purchase his seed than to save it.
But here again there is danger of procuring inferior seed, for much of
the melon seed on the market is cut without careful selection, in order
to meet the demand for cheap seed. Even cull melons are used to supply
this demand. Such seed is expensive at any price. The difference in the
cost of good seed and poor seed is insignificant when compared with the
advantages to be derived from the use of seed which can be depended
upon to produce melons of a given type.
_Picking._--There is considerable difference of opinion as to the exact
stage of maturity at which melons should be picked for shipment. If
allowed to become too ripe before picking, they become soft by the time
they reach the market, and often must be sacrificed in order to effect
an immediate sale. If picked too green, the melons reach market in firm
condition, but are lacking in flavor, and are not desired by the best
trade. It is a nice point to pick melons at such a degree of ripeness
that they will reach the market in firm condition, and yet possess the
requisite flavor. The farther from market the melons are produced,
the less mature they must be when picked. Furthermore, the rapidity
of softening after picking varies with the temperature to which the
melons are subjected. The cooler they can be kept after picking, the
longer they can be allowed to remain on the vines and the better flavor
they will have. It is, therefore, essential that the melons be placed
in the shade as soon as possible after picking, and be kept shaded
until they are loaded into the car. For the same reason, riper melons
can be shipped under the refrigeration than in ventilated cars. It is
also true that melons shipped during excessively hot weather, unless
under refrigeration, will soften more rapidly than those shipped during
cooler weather. The condition of the vines and the rapidity of ripening
of the melons in the field will also have a bearing upon the stage of
maturity at which they should be picked. Early in the shipping season,
when the vines are in full vigor and the melons ripening slowly,
the fruits may safely be left upon the vines until more mature than
would be safe later in the season when the plants have become somewhat
weakened, or, by reason of excessive heat, the melons are ripening very
rapidly. Melons should not be picked at the same degree of maturity
under different conditions of ripening, methods of transportation, and
distances from market.
While it is true that no rule can be given for picking melons that will
apply under all conditions, and that the grower must exercise judgment
in reference to each day's picking, the ideal will be attained when the
conditions are such that the melons will reach the market in the best
condition if picked as soon as the fruit will part readily from the
stem when the latter is pressed with the thumb or finger. There is a
tendency among some growers to pick considerably before this point has
been reached, in order to run no risk of the melons becoming soft in
transit. In fact, some growers make a practice of picking the melons
before a crack appears about the stem or any change of color takes
place, even on the under side of the fruit.
_Market Demands._--While various types of muskmelon may be disposed of
upon a local market, there are certain types which are recognized as
standards in the large city markets; and it is seldom wise to attempt
to force upon a general market a variety not recognized as a standard
in that particular market. In the Chicago market the sorts most in
demand are the Netted Gem, or Rocky Ford type, and the Osage.--(Ill. E.
S. 124, 139; F. B. 255; S. Dak. E. S. 67; N. Hamp. E. S. 70, 96; N. Y.
E. S. 200; N. Mex. E. S. 63.)