| Show CULTURE E OF M MUSK muse USK AND WATER new jersey is famous for its musk and water watermelon melons immense quantities being sent every season to the new york markets E J K 11 of bergen co in that state gives the details of his practice in cultivating water melons from which we extract thet ther following our soil is a sandy loam with a substratum sub stratum of pure sand in the early part of may luay the land receives a compost of muck and barnyard manure at the rate of twenty five loads to the acre is then plowed harrowed three or four times to puite pulle izi it thoroughly and then marked off so that the hills shall stand 8 feet apart and exactly opposite eto to each other I 1 ao so as to allow oe of the use nae ot of a horse cultivator excavations are then made of a depth of 4 to 6 inches and a foot in diameter into each or of i is S pt pipit one large forkful of manure or compost which is thoroughly incorporated with the soil the holes are then filled up with the earth that was taken from them which raises the bills 3 or 4 inches higher than the surrounding soil the seed is is planted pi anted in the hills half an inch deep and 8 or 10 to the hill bill in abacut 8 days they will germinate and the appearance of the plant may be greatly facilitated by gently loosen I 1 j ing the earth around them with the finger in three weeks from this ame they will have mad etwo rough leaves when all the plants but three should be pulled u alfed 0 out ut should they be attacked by bug bugs dust d t the t h plants in the morning while the dew is them with on w wood 0 0 d j ashes or plaster and pepper if attacked d by b y 1 worms which eat the young youn stalks of the plant off near the earth the only remedy is to 1 search diligently until yo you u fild find them they are generally at the roo root of the plant ane plant planter sr should be hoed at least once a week and kept I 1 P perfectly clean until they begin to put puit forth i runners when all cultivation should c e ase when the runners have reached 4 feet in length the ends enda are to 0 o be pinched 0 off T a and this should be continued tb ahn it the is season ea to force the strength ot of the vines into the fruit by pursuing this course the melons will be of superior excellence as rega regards ads size an I 1 quality this system answers eq equally bally well for growing nutmeg and citron mel mei melons 0 ns squashes and cucumbers mr air 1 van ri riper per of the same county and a very successful cultivator of muskmelons musk melons melona fr f dihe the new york market bents a statement of his last years crop early in april he be plowed in irn manure and a dresing of sait salt ait alt hay bay harrowed har rowed on may alay ad and planted on may pi in the hill bill from 3 18 1 8 acres mr air van R fathered ea 1000 barrels of melons which br braht brought 1608 00 expenses of cultivation cult ivan on sending to market commission etc 50 leaving a profi tot american ag may 1864 |
