Watermelon

The watermelon saved the South. In the chaotic year after the Confederacy’s defeat in the Civil War, seed for most staple crops (cotton, corn, peanuts, rice) was not available for planting. The liberated African American population had little inclination to reengage in field labor, particularly to benefit white planters or farmers. There was only one plant in Georgia and South Carolina that could be easily grown, that did not require great labor to grow, and that commanded a ready market—watermelon. Boxcars of Rattlesnake and Bradford watermelons sped north from Augusta, Georgia, on the intact rail line in July, August, and September of 1866. They met a rapturous reception. No northern melon tasted as good and the demand in New York was limitless. Indeed, its success kick-started the southern economy, directing it toward truck farming and away from cultivation of staples.