Remember the picture of my little thumb-size watermelon from the July 4th posting. This is it two days later! I was researching growing tips, and came across the history of watermelons. I found it interesting, and thought you might enjoy it, too. Here is the history, as reported by Buzzle.com:
Evidence shows that watermelons originated in the Kalahari Desert in Africa thousands of years ago. Hieroglyphics excavated in Egypt reveal the fact that watermelons were cultivated and harvested in Egypt 5,000 years ago. Gradually, watermelons found their way to Mediterranean countries via the sea trade. Watermelons were cultivated in China during the 10th century and today, China is ranked number one in the production of watermelons. In the 13th century, cultivation of watermelons had spread throughout Europe. The term “watermelon” was first mentioned in the English dictionary in the early 17th century. The African slaves brought watermelons to the United States. Today the U.S. ranks fourth in the production of watermelons.
Wasn’t that interesting!
