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- Aug 30, 2021
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The Sweetest Watermelon of the South - An"Extinct" Taste of Summer
In the 1850s, Nathaniel Bradford developed a unique watermelon breed that was known as the sweetest and most flavorful, right down to its dark green skin. By the early 1900s, however, watermelons had been developed with hard, thick skins and tough rinds at the sacrifice of flavor, which were ultimately more profitable because they were able to be shipped with very little breakage. And so the Bradford watermelon, fell out of cultivation and became lost to the annals of history. However, although the commercial line disappeared, the Bradford family never stopped growing the original watermelon.
I harvested 150 pounds of watermelon in 5 watermelons the other day. The largest one was 48 pounds. Added two more today and there's a bunch more coming!
In the 1850s, Nathaniel Bradford developed a unique watermelon breed that was known as the sweetest and most flavorful, right down to its dark green skin. By the early 1900s, however, watermelons had been developed with hard, thick skins and tough rinds at the sacrifice of flavor, which were ultimately more profitable because they were able to be shipped with very little breakage. And so the Bradford watermelon, fell out of cultivation and became lost to the annals of history. However, although the commercial line disappeared, the Bradford family never stopped growing the original watermelon.
I harvested 150 pounds of watermelon in 5 watermelons the other day. The largest one was 48 pounds. Added two more today and there's a bunch more coming!
