Diane Johnson, age 13, of Mechanicsville, Va., for her question:
WHERE DID WATERMELONS COME FROM?
Leading North America producer of watermelons is the state of Florida. About 400,000 tons of the sweet fruit are sent to market from the state each year. Texas, California, Georgia and South Carolina, in that order, are the next states with high watermelon growing ratings.
Watermelon was first grown in Africa and then during early times spread to southern Asia. Seeds were brought to North America as early as 1629, and the fruit became a favorite luxury item in all of the colonies.
By 1673 watermelons were growing in abundance along the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers. Indian tribes planted them along the Colorado River during the 1700s and they became an important crop in many of the Southern states.
A watermelon plant is related to the pumpkin, muskmelon, cucumber and squash. Although the sweet pulp is usually red, it is sometimes yellow in certain varieties. The fruit can either be dark green, striped green or almost white. The refreshing fruit is 93 percent water.
The hard rind of the fruit encloses the soft pulp and large numbers of seeds. The seeds can be white, black or brown. Certain varieties of the fruit grow without seeds.
Vines that may be from 12 to 15 feet long produce watermelons. The melons average between 20 and 35 pounds, although many are found in the markets weighing as little as 10 pounds and as much as 60 pounds. A bantam size melon is also being produced that weighs less than 10 pounds.
Although watermelons are found mainly in the warm, southern parts of North America, they grow very well during summer months as far north as Canada. Seeds should be planted when the hot weather arrives. The plants do best in moist, sandy soil. The vine usually has lots of blossoms but only a few of the flowers produce melons.
Watermelon plants should be spaced between eight and 10 feet apart. The fruit should not be picked until it is fully ripe. If the melon is picked too early, the rich and delicious taste is sometimes missing. The fruit ripens in 80 to 90 days after planting.
You can tell if the melon is ripe by tapping it. If the rind is hard and a hollow sound is heard, the watermelon will probably be ready.
A new variety of watermelon, called the midget, is available in some markets and home gardens. You can tell that this melon is ripe when it turns a golden color.
Watermelons also come in a variety of shapes. Along with the popular oblong shape, you'll also find round and oval melons.