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Show Rich Feeding and Room to Grow Speed Watermelons V- j & i ' - f r i J ! i H i h . S.A i " ' ' " Watermelons are among the most nutritious fruits, high in calories, and rich in minerals and vitamins. Though they seem to be chiefly delicious juice, actually they have a lower water content than aspar-gus, aspar-gus, celery, cucumbers and lettuce; and of all the vine crops, stand drouth the best. Watermelons are usually grown in hills, which may be as close together to-gether as three feet each way, in small gardens. Such close spacing is likely to reduce the size of the fruits, and more room should be given where possible. Seeds shoiid be sown in warm soil, and if the nights continue cold it may be desirable de-sirable to protect the young plants at first with waxed paper tents. Heavy fertilizing pays well with this crop. As much as a pint of balanced plant food may be mixed well with the soil beneath each hill several days before the seed is planted. Or use a shovel of well " rotted manure, and half a pint of plant food. Sow ten seeds to the hill and thin out to the two strongest strong-est plants that develop. Do not harvest watermelons until they are ripe, as they improve in flavor very little after they are picked. It takes some study to de-Ivrmine de-Ivrmine when a melon is ripe, without with-out "pluggiim" it. Thurnoing is one test, ripe melons giving a dead flat Watermelons Contain Less Water Than Asparagus or Lettuce. sound, green ones a ringing sound. The color of the spot where the melon lay on the ground usually changes from greenish white to yellow as it ripens. The same insects and diseases that attack muskmelons and cucumbers cu-cumbers may attack the watermelon. water-melon. If your garden has grown watermelons at any time during the last five years, a wilt resistan-variety resistan-variety should be used. |