Fundamentals of Agriculture and Sericulture, Volume 3

Records of Extensive Knowledge original: Bowen Lu, a Ming dynasty encyclopedia of diverse information.: In the cultivation of flowers and medicinal herbs, musk The strong-smelling secretion from the musk deer, traditionally believed to cause certain plants to wither. is most detrimental; melons are especially sensitive to it. If musk comes into contact with the plant’s "navel" the stem end or base of the fruit during planting, the plant will fail. However, if several stalks of garlic or shallots original: suan-xie are planted nearby, the presence of musk will not cause any harm.

Watermelon

Newly added Watermelon cultivation follows the same methods as other melons, though the planting clusters should be spaced more thinly. For those planting in large quantities, scatter the seeds over the ridges daitouMounds or raised edges of a tilled field. of well-tilled soil and rake the surface flat. Once the seedlings have emerged, mound the earth around the roots to form a "soil basin." For those desiring particularly large melons, leave only one plant per pace buApprox. 1.5 meters., and on each plant, allow only one melon to remain. Pinch off all other secondary vines and flowers. Following this method, the melons will grow as large as a "three-bushel wicker basket" kaolaoA round, traditional basket made of willow or bamboo; three dou (bushels) is approximately 30 liters..

Winter Melon

Essential Techniques for the Common People original: Qimin Yaoshu, a foundational 6th-century agricultural manual.: Method for planting winter melons—dig circular pits in shaded areas near a wall.