WATERMELON. An annual vine, Citrullus vulgaris, of the natural order Cueurbitacew, native of tropical Africa, and extensively culti vated in warm climates, particularly in South ern Russia and in the United States, where more than 200,000 acres, especially in Texas, Georgia, and Missouri, are annually devoted to it. The refreshing red, greenish, or yellow pulp of its ripe fruit, which weighs from 20 to 50 pounds and even much more under special man agement, contains about 93 per cent. water and 2 per cent. sugar, to obtain which latter experi ments have been made, hut without commercial success. A very large number of varieties, espe cially red-fleshed ones, are in cultivation. The white-fleshed, rather solid form used largely in preserving is generally known as a 'citron' or 'preserving melon.' The watermelon is sensitive to frost and is easily stunted in growth by cold. It thrives best in a rich, warm, sandy loam well supplied with humus. In its culture 15 to 20
seeds are planted about two inches deep in well =mired hills spaced 10 to 12 feet apart each way. After the plants get well established they are thinned out to 2 or 3 of the strongest vines in each hill. Many commereial growers plant the seed in rows 18 feet apart and thin the plants to stand 3 to 4 feet apart in the row-. By this method the fertilizers used can be easily culti vated into the soil. Thorough cultivation is given until the running vines interfere. (See :MELON INSECTS.) The ripe melons are shipped to Northern markets in box ears, the smallest melons being placed on the bottom, since they are less likely to bruise than the larger ones. The earliest melons reach the Northern market about the middle of May and the season continues until about Thanksgiving. See Plate of CrCVIIBER AL LIES.