MISSOURI WATERMELONS ARE DELICIOUS

On a hot summer day a cold sweet Missouri watermelon, recently picked, shipped, and properly chilled is so delicious the pleasure it gives to the person eating it is difficult to explain.

Although Missouri grows a large crop of watermelons annually, the state as a national supplier ranks about 10th. But that isn't the ranking in taste tests...there Missouri is right at the top.

Although several Missouri counties grow watermelons, the Missouri Bootheel, with its sandy soil, produces melons of exceptional taste. When the melons ripen and are ready to market, large transport trucks keep rolling day and night supplying the markets where customers continue to express their preference for "a good Southeast Missouri watermelon." Large markets sell a hundred or more melons a day.

Farmers who have become experienced in the cultivation of watermelons keep close check of the weather in early spring, and when they feel the danger of a killing frost is over melon seed is planted. This is usually around April 10. They may plant 10 acres at that time, and everyday there after continue to plant more acreage until a hundred or more acres are planted. This ensures a constant supply of melons from the farm during the summer season. Seed is planted until May 1. Early melons bring the best price in the market.

The early melons will sell for 5 cents, sometimes more a pound, but as the warmer weather begins, the price per pound falls. By late summer, the price can range from 2 cents to 3 cents a pound.

When the summer season has enough rainfall, the farmer receives a good return on his crop.

This year's heat and drought has hurt the Missouri melon crop. The melons have grown quite large, and have not matured to produce the sweet nectar and bright red pulp and dark brown seeds that have always brought the merchants and the growers a profit.

The history of the watermelon is interesting. It was cultivated in Asia and Europe 4,000 years ago, and Sanskrit writings mention facts about watermelon. It has been a popular fruit. Early colonists brought seed to this country and planted the melon in the East. From there the cultivation of watermelon spread across the country. The one requirement for good melons is a sandy soil.

Scott County, as well as some sections of Cape County, produce melons, as does the Bootheel.

Many melons are shipped from Kennett and many farmers in Missouri plant a melon patch for their families' use.

The largest supplier of melons is the state of Florida. Texas is second, then Georgia and Mississippi and Oklahoma. Missouri falls in line next in supplying the market. East of the Mississippi River, Indiana's central region produces large melon crops, and in the West, California does the same. The taste of melons vary, depending on where they are grown. That is why Missouri melons are so popular, they have a distinct sweet taste that many melons, grown in other states, lack.

The Indians may have known about melons since early explorers brought seeds to Mexico. It is difficult to put a date as to when the first watermelon seed was planted in Southeast Missouri.

Members of the Beggs family of Jackson say their great grandfather began planting watermelon on his farm many years ago. The farm is now one of the largest melon farms in Missouri. It is at Blodgett.

As early as 1903, farm annuals began to mention watermelons grown in Missouri and the exception taste of the melon. That year, Scott County produced 4,935,000 melons and 20,000 baskets of cantaloupes. That was when grandfather Beggs considered specializing in planting watermelon. Then, the popular variety was Black Diamond, a round to oblong green melon with a sweet nectar and red sweet pulp, holding many large, brown seeds. When this melon was ripe, it opened with a crack that seemed to say, "I'm ripe and ready to eat."

Railroad freight cars rushed the melons to markets. Local freight transported the melons. Melons were sold along the way, often for 25 to 50 cents each. The residents of Scott County claimed their melons were the best, but other counties disputed that claim. Melons were entered in fairs, and growers took a delight in winning prizes.

Farmers tried to perfect the seed, then agricultural stations began to assume that duty and tried to make the melon disease proof, free of fungus, and less tempting to insects, birds, and other animals, and more tempting to people.

In 1950, Chartestons Grays were introduced, but they tended to bruise easily in shipping. In 1964, Jubilee was release by the Florida Experimental Station. That type of melon weighs from 26 to 32 pounds and is too large for the average family and the family refrigerator. It has to be commercially chilled. Crimson Sweet and Petite Sweet were subsequently introduced, and these continue to be best sellers in the market. Crimson Sweet is not a hybrid.

Recently Royal Sweet was introduced by Peto Seed Co. of Saticoy, Calif. It is semi-oblong, has a good taste, and is becoming popular. Watermelon jobbers who specialize in knowing melons, and growers of exceptional melons canvas the farms and buy for the food markets, so customers are assured good melons.

Plugging a melon to pre-test it is no longer permitted by the Health Department. A customer can be fooled. Thumping a melon to test it and getting a nice hollow sound isn't always a guarantee the melon is ripe. One thing to remember, melons must ripen in the field, they cannot be picked green and expected to ripen as bananas and many other fruit and vegetables ripen.

Soil, sand and sun plus a certain amount of rain, and some attention from the farmer, and being off limits to predators, will assure a beautiful and delicious slice of watermelon on the plate, and will be especially tasty if it is from Southeast Missouri.