Alan Hughes, age 8, of Bessemer, Ala., for his question:

HOW MUCH WATER IS IN WATERMELON?

Ninety three percent of a watermelon is water. There are many varieties of the sweet, refreshing fruit. Bantam sized watermelons weigh from five to 10 pounds while the giant ones can top the scales at as much as 60 pounds. The average weight is about 20 pounds.

Watermelons first grew in Africa. They came to North America with the colonists and were considered a luxury food in the Massachusetts colony as early as 1629.

Today, watermelons are grown chiefly in the Southern states. Florida leads by producing about 500,000 tons of the fruit each year followed by Texas, California, Georgia and South Carolina.

Watermelon is a warm season crop. It grows in gardens as far north as Canada.

The experts say that for the best flavor, the fruit should not be picked until it ripens on the vine fully. The fruits ripen in 80 to 90 days, depending on the variety. Most varieties are ripe when the rind gets very hard and the melon sounds hollow when tapped.