Mountain Sweet Watermelon Seeds (Citrullus lanatus cv.)

Harvested from the gardens at Monticello.
By the 1840's Mountain Sweet Watermelon was extremely popular in the Mid-Atlantic States and, because it shipped well, was grown almost exclusively for the Philadelphia and New York City markets.  The large melons are round to slightly pear-shaped and the bright scarlet-red flesh is extremely sweet.

Direct sow seeds in hills or rows after the last spring frost; for hills, sow 6-8 seeds per 12"-wide hill, then thin to the best 3 plants per hill.  To grow in a shorter season, start indoors 3-4 weeks before last frost.  Watermelons prefer light, fertile soil on the dry side.  Approximately 10 seeds per packet.