The peak of watermelon season in Laurel in 1905

Sussex County farmers load 20- to 40-pound watermelons aboard rail cars bound for mid-Atlantic cities in the middle of August in 1905.  Laurel has been the capital of Delaware’s watermelon industry for centuries.  The auction houses there stay busy during the eight weeks of so of watermelon harvest.  The sandy soil in that part of Sussex is ideal for productive watermelon growing.