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WATERMELON
(Citrullus vulgaris) 25-35 seeds per packet. We're #1 in heirloom watermelons–check our selection! Thrives in summer heat. A long-standing crop in the South, where it was originally transported by slaves from Africa. Sow the seed one-half inch deep outdoors after frost-season is over and soil is warm. Soil should be rich and well-amended with compost or manure. Sow the seed 6 inches to one foot apart, in rows 6-8 feet apart. Or sow in hills 6-8 feet apart, 5 seeds per hill, and thin to the best three plants. Where summers are short or cool, try "icebox" (very small) types; or try any variety that comes from cooler, northerly climates. May be started indoors from seed no more than 2-3 weeks prior to setting-out date, and never let watermelon seedlings become root-bound in their pots. Watermelon is probably ripe when the light patch on the underside has changed to pale yellow, and the tendril immediately opposite the stem from the fruit has withered.
Attention, Watermelon Farmers:
Due to Watermelon Fruit Blotch, growers who want watermelon seed in quantities over 1 oz (per variety) must sign and return a waiver before shipment. For information call: 417-924-8917
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Astrakhanski
This Russian variety is named for the city of Astrakhan, located
on the Volga river near the Caspian Sea. Round 10"-12" fruit
have dark green rind with light mottling and streaks. The pink
flesh is very delicious and sweet; great for short-season areas.
Item Code: WM136
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Black Diamond Yellow Flesh
90 days
This rare variety of Black Diamond has light yellow flesh with a deep
black-green rind. The taste is very sweet. Can grow to very large sizes.
Item Code: WM112
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Black Seeded Ice Cream
New!
90 days
A sweet-flavored, pink-fleshed watermelon that has a pale greenish
cream-colored rind. It is an old variety that was popular in the
19th century. 1881 D.M. Ferry said, "Medium size, scarlet flesh, and
very sweet; a good variety for main crop." In 1927 Henry Field's catalog
stated, "Round shaped melons with thin, ivory colored skin.
Pink-meated and of fine quality. It will keep late into the winter.
Very prolific; matures very early."
Item Code: WM170
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Blacktail Mountain
70 days
One of the earliest watermelons we know of; superb for the
North, but it also grows well in heat and drought. The flesh
is red and deliciously sweet. Fruit have a dark rind and weigh
8-12 lbs each. This excellent variety was developed by our
friend Glenn Drowns, owner of the Sand Hill Preservation Center
in Iowa. A favorite of many gardeners across the USA. One
of the best we have ever tried!
Item Code: WM129
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Carolina Cross
90 days
The variety used to produce the current 262-lb world record,
and has produced many 200-pound melons; it easily grows fruit
65-150 lbs. This is the watermelon to grow if you want true giants!
Fantastic fruit have green stripes and red flesh. These will
impress your gardening friends and are sure fun to grow and
exhibit at fairs. Amazing! Pkt (10 seeds)
Item Code: WM151
Out of Stock
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Charleston Gray
87 days
This popular variety dates to 1954. The long gray-green fruit
grow to 20-40 lbs; the red flesh is fiber-free and very tasty.
Yields are very good, and melons are excellent for home or
market.
Item Code: WM117
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Chelsea
90-100 days
This heirloom has been grown near Chelsea, Iowa for over 100
years and is thought to have come from Czechoslovakia. Round
fruit have a pale green rind with darker green spots and markings.
The delicious flesh is sweet and a deep pink color.
Item Code: WM139
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Chilean Black Seeded
90 days
Very rare! A pre-1910 heirloom that is nearly extinct. It is very handsome
in appearance; the fruit are striped and nearly round, and they weigh
10-20 lbs. The rind is very thin and hard, and yields are excellent, even
in a dry year. The flesh is a sparkling, crimson red, sweet and juicy with a
nice flavor; seeds are large and black. A good melon for market growers.
(10 seeds)
Item Code: WM103
Out of Stock
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Chris Cross
85-90 days
This heirloom was bred in Montrose, Iowa, in 1950 by "Chris"
Christenson, and the "Cross" was Hawksbury crossed with Dixie
Queen. 15 to 20-lb fruit have green striped rind and tasty,
crisp red flesh. This variety is almost extinct.
Item Code: WM140
Out of Stock
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Clay County Yellow Meat
New!
Extremely rare heirloom from Clay County, Alabama. Our
original seed had been stored in a freezer since 1976. Yellow-fleshed
watermelons reach 50 lb, and are reputed to be the
sweetest, best-tasting yellow-fleshed watermelons grown.
Has been grown for at least 100 years. Produced well in spite
of drought in our 2008 trials.
Item Code: WM171
Out of Stock
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Colorado Preserving or Red Seeded Citron
90 days This variety of melon was used in the 19th
century for making preserves, candied citron, pies and more.
The firm white flesh is not good for fresh eating but has many
holiday uses in the kitchen. These are rock hard and keep for
months. Citron-type melons are the ancestors to domestic watermelons
and still grow wild in Africa. These are easy to grow,
as they resist almost everything. Huge vines; 10-lb fruit have
bright red seeds.
Item Code: WM142
Out of Stock
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Congo
90 days
Large 30 to 40-lb melons; very tough, striped rind. The flesh is
deep red, very firm. Has a high sugar content; an excellent big
watermelon, tasty! AAS winner from 1950.
Item Code: WM124
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Cream of Saskatchewan
80 days
A beautiful little melon with sweet, tasty, cream-colored flesh!
An excellent variety for the North. Fruits around 8-10 lbs each,
with a striped, green rind. A favorite of those who grow it! An
old heirloom.
Item Code: WM133
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Crimson Sweet
85 days
AAS/Winner-1964, very popular. Crisp and sweet, mediumred
flesh, mild flavor. A good producing type that is still quite
popular.
Item Code: WM115
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Daisy or Yellow Shipper
85 days
Very tough rinds make this one of the best yellow varieties for
shipping. Rinds are striped, and flesh is bright yellow, crisp,
sweet and very tasty! Fruit weigh 13-20 lbs. This variety was
found growing in a field of watermelons by a customer of Burrell
Seed Co.
Item Code: WM116
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Desert King
85 days
This watermelon produces 20-lb fruit that have a light pea-green
rind that is resistant to sunburn. It is also one of the
most drought-resistant varieties of watermelon known. It has
sweet, yellow flesh and is very popular in the watermelon-growing
areas of Arkansas. Good for storage.
Item Code: WM145
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Dixie Queen
80 days
Pre-1935 variety, round in shape, can grow up to 50 lbs. Flesh
is brilliant red, solid, and of a fine flavor. Skin is striped dark
green and greenish ivory; uniform in shape, size, color, and
quality.
Item Code: WM114
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Dixielee
90 days
Developed by University of Florida, Leesburg, in 1979. Larger
and about a week later than Sugarlee, this one produces 22-
lb round fruit with firm, deep, red flesh that is very sweet.
They have striped rinds and are good producers; another real
winner.
Item Code: WM148
Out of Stock
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Fairfax
86 days
30 to 40-lb fruit that are oblong, and have a striped, thin, tough rind.
The bright red flesh is very sweet! Excellent taste, it was developed in
1952 by the USDA and Clemson. A good market melon.
Item Code: WM101
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Georgia Rattlesnake
90 days
A longtime Southern favorite, thought to have been developed in
Georgia in the 1830s. Its stripes resemble those of a Rattle Snake,
hence the name. Sweet, light crimson-colored flesh and large size.
Used as a shipping melon; a great old variety.
Item Code: WM113
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Gold Baby
75-80 days
Sweet flesh is a beautiful creamy-lemon color. Fruit weigh
around 5 lbs, and are perfect for small gardens. They have thin,
green-striped rinds, vines produce well, and the fruit are quite
colorful; very rare.
Item Code: WM165
Out of Stock
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Golden Midget
70 days
A beautiful miniature watermelon that weighs around 3 lbs. It's easy to
tell when they are ripe, as the rind turns a lovely golden yellow when
ready for harvest, a very beautiful contrast with the salmon-pink colored
flesh. The taste is sweet and refreshing. Very early, matures in
just 70 days. Developed by the late Dr. Elwyn Meader, UNH, in 1959.
Unique.
Item Code: WM107
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Japanese Cream Fleshed Suika
New!
85 days. A small Japanese type watermelon. 6-12 lb ice-box-sized
fruit have crisp, cream-colored flesh, and an excellent refreshing
taste with mild flavor. Best tasting cream-fleshed watermelon
at Washington State University trials. Enjoyed by some
with lime and salt, but I like them plain, straight from the patch!
Productive and fairly early. Pkt (20 seeds)
Item Code: WM168
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Jubilee
90 days
Long, oval-shaped fruit with very tasty flesh that is deep red
and very crisp. A popular old favorite. Large size.
Item Code: WM130
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Katanya
60-70 days
Dark green fruit have beautiful rosy red-colored flesh that is extra
flavorful, crisp and sweet. This is an icebox type melon with
small to medium-sized fruit that are produced in abundance on
healthy vines. This is a Russian variety from Katanya, a Russian
woman who lives in Northern Illinois. Fairly early, and one of the
best smaller melons we have tasted.
Item Code: WM169
Out of Stock
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Kleckley's Sweet
85 days
Bright red, with a high sugar content, this heirloom has been a favorite
ever since introduced by W. Atlee Burpee in 1897. Fruit is large
and somewhat oblong; rind is dark green. Not for shipping, but perfect
for the kitchen garden.
Item Code: WM106
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Klondike Blue Ribbon Striped
85 days
Delicious red flesh that is very sweet and crisp; has been a
family favorite of ours for many years. Medium-large size and a
good shipper. A very good melon. Rare.
Item Code: WM125
Out of Stock
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Kolb's Gem or American Champion
100 days
Huge melons that have grown as large as 130 lbs! This variety dates
back to at least the 1880s. The fruit are nearly round and have sweet,
red flesh. Excellent choice if giant watermelons are desired.
Item Code: WM102
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Long Milky Way, Moon and Stars
95 days
Brilliant red, sweet and crisp, this elongated variety of the famous
"Moon & Stars" is among the best of its type. The 30-lb
fruit are more narrow in shape and the rind is dark green with
golden-yellow moons and small yellow stars. This fun variety
was developed by our friend and breeder, Glenn Drowns of
Sand Hill Preservation Center.
Item Code: WM153
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Malali
New!
A sugary-sweet watermelon from Israel; this variety is great for
warm climates. Small fruit weigh about 10 lbs. Green-striped
rind and delicious light-red flesh is really refreshing. A good
little melon for small families and market growers.
Item Code: WM172
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Melitopolski
90 days
An early variety from Volga River region of Russia. Round, 10"
fruit with green striped skin and bright red, sweet flesh. These
are piled into pyramids in Moscow street markets.
Item Code: WM134
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Missouri Heirloom Yellow Flesh
We are excited to offer this great old variety from the "Show Me"
state. It produces round, 20-lb melons with pale green skin and
bright golden-yellow flesh that is crisp, sweet and refreshing. A
really nice yellow type that is hard to find.
Item Code: WM159
Out of Stock
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Moon and Stars
95 days
Legendary Heirloom Variety rediscovered in Macon, Missouri.
Can grow to over 40 lbs. The dark green rind has bright yellow
spots on it! Spots range in size from tiny to several inches across.
Leaves are also specked in yellow. It has very sweet, brilliant red
flesh. This is becoming one of the most popular Heirloom varieties,
a winner! Originally introduced by Peter Henderson & Co. in
1926, it was called "SUN, MOON AND STARS." The catalog says, "...
an extraordinary variation...and that it has such a delicious taste."
It was sold then for 20 cents a pkt. Unique variety!
Item Code: WM121
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Moon and Stars - Yellow Fleshed
90-95 days
Rare, this is the yellow-meated strain of this fine heirloom;
these are very delicious and have beautiful, yellow-orange
meat that is very sweet. The large fruit can grow to 40 lbs, and
they have large, yellow "Moons and Stars" covering their nearly
black rinds. Our favorite variety of the planetary watermelons,
it was a real favorite at our 2004 "Heirloom Garden Show". A
great variety for farmers' markets.
Item Code: WM122
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Mountain Hoosier
85 days
Large melons can grow up to 80 lbs. Dark green rind and very sweet,
deep red flesh; excellent flavor. This pre-1937 heirloom is very productive.
Item Code: WM105
Out of Stock
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North Star
85-90 days
This great strain of "Moon and Stars" was selected in northern Illinois
to produce large melons in that climate. The rind is covered
with small stars and speckles. The flesh is pink and very sweet. This
great-tasting variety was developed by our friend Merl Niedens. A
good choice for home and market gardeners.
Item Code: WM158
Out of Stock
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Orange Flesh Tendersweet
90 days
Excellent, deep orange flesh; very sweet and crisp, flavor lives
up to its name! Delicious tasting! We prefer orange-fleshed
types over most reds and yellows -- they seem to yield better
here than most others. A great variety for markets.
Item Code: WM131
Out of Stock
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Orangeglo
85 days
Beautiful, deep orange flesh; very sweet, excellent, almost tropical
flavor! The best-tasting of ALL orange varieties we tried --
the favorite of many who tried it at our place. High yields. Very
resistant to wilt and insects; strong healthy vines. These will
sell at roadside stands & markets! Pkt (15 seeds)
Item Code: WM127
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Osh Kirgizia
Unique fruit have a yellow/lime-colored rind with jagged deep green
stripes. The flesh is pink-red, sweet and tasty. This Russian variety did
well here in the Ozarks and was productive. Fruit weigh about 13 lbs
Introduced to the USA by Seed Savers Exchange in 1992.
Item Code: WM109
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Peacock Striped
87 days
A good-sized melon with fine-textured, bright red flesh; another
good shipping variety, sweet and tasty.
Item Code: WM126
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Picnic
90-100 days
These beautiful, oval melons have dark green, glossy rinds and
deep red flesh. It has become very rare.
Item Code: WM141
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Royal Golden
Wow! The most beautiful watermelon we carry; the rind of this
heirloom turns brilliant golden-yellow when ripe! The distinctive
color makes it a snap to know when to harvest and is so beautiful
in your garden. The tasty pinkish-red flesh is sweet, crisp and
refreshing. This variety is much larger than 'Golden Midget', with
fruit weighing 10-25 lbs, perfect for adding a real splash of color
to your market stand or kitchen. We are so happy to offer seed
for this great old melon that used to be offered by Willhite Seed
of Poolville, Texas, until they discontinued it from their catalog
in the 1970s and it almost became extinct.
Item Code: WM160
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Stone Mountain
80 days
A legendary commercial melon from the early 20th century.
Stone Mountain was introduced in 1923 by Hastings Seed Company
of Atlanta, Georgia, and went on to become one of the top
commercial melons of the 1930s and 1940s, but now it is almost
extinct due to mass production and hybrids. Nice-sized fruit
weigh about 30 lbs, and have thick rinds that makes them excel
as shippers and storage melons. The red flesh is sweet, juicy and
wonderful, bringing back memories of how watermelons used to
taste. A classic Southern melon that we are proud to offer, thanks
to seed collector Rodger Winn.
Item Code: WM164
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Sugar Baby
79 days
The #1 icebox-sized melon! Early! 6 to 10-lb melons are great
for the North and have sweet, deep red flesh.
Item Code: WM132
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Sugarlee
90 days
Developed by University of Florida, Leesburg, in 1981. This
watermelon is very early and has good-sized 15 to 18-lb fruit
that have striped rinds. The flesh is pink-red and very sweet.
Good resistance to disease and a tough rind for shipping.
Item Code: WM147
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Sweet Siberian
New!
80-90 days
Luscious, apricot-colored flesh is very sweet and flavorful. Grown
at New Hampshire's Ag Experiment station in 1901. It is early,
and a great melon for the north. In 1937 McFayden Seeds of
Winnipeg, Man. Canada said, "Largest of very early strains. A very
early yellow-fleshed variety extensively grown by Russians. It is
supposed to have come from Siberia. The melons are oblong,
dark green, borne abundantly on the vigorous vines. The flesh is
a golden yellow, sweet and delicious. Grown extensively by Hutterite
Colonies, who find ready sale for them in many districts in
Manitoba." It is now rather rare and hard to find.
Item Code: WM167
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Tendergold
80 days
A fairly early orange-fleshed variety that has great taste and
texture. Its rind is hard and tough, making it a good orange
variety for marketing. They are very uniform and weigh
around 22 lbs.
Item Code: WM149
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Thai Baby Watermelon
This is the variety used in Thailand when they are about 3"
long. Can be cooked in many ways: stir-fried, or in curries,
soups. and more. Easy and fun to grow.
Item Code: WM143
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Thai Chatchai 185
A wonderful-tasting ice-box type melon from Thailand. The fruit
weigh 6 to 8 lbs, and have a superbly tasty, crisp flesh that is
sweet and fine-grained. One of the better small melons I have
tried. Collected by us in 2006 in Bangkok.
Item Code: WM162
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Thai Rom Dao
Small fruit weigh about 5 lbs. A striped green rind and bright
red flesh that is sweet and tasty. A fun little melon from Thailand.
Item Code: WM163
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Tom Watson
87 days
Large, 20 to 40-lb fruit, with sweet, crisp, dark red flesh. The tough
rind makes it a good shipping melon. A pre-1900 heirloom, popular
with old-timers. It is getting hard to find, as most sources have
dropped it.
Item Code: WM104
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Verona
70-86 days
Developed by Mississippi State Univ. in 1965. Large fruit are
nearly round and have attractive dark green skin. Their red
flesh is delicious, being sweet and crisp. A good overall watermelon
that is a great keeper and shipper, making it great
for marketing. Good resistance to disease.
Item Code: WM146
Out of Stock
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White Sugar Lump
We at last have a limited supply of seed for this very rare melon.
The pale flesh is a creamy white color, with a light, refreshingly
sweet taste. Fruit weigh around 5-10 lbs each, and produce early.It was carried by the Henry Fields Seed Company in the 1950s
and 1960s, and in 1956 they said "Sweet as sugar, that’s why we
call them Sugar Lumps." They offered these in three colors: red,
yellow and white. Thin-striped rind.
Item Code: WM166
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White Wonder
80 days
Beautiful, snow-white flesh is so pale it’s almost transparent! The
flavor is unique, fruity, and so delicious. The small, round 3-8 lb
icebox-sized fruit are very refreshing and perfect for gourmet
growers wanting to target high-class markets. These will add
contrast to any display and are sure to bring attention at farmers’
markets. White-fleshed watermelons were common in the
1800s, but due to corporate agriculture, these genetic treasures
are about to be lost. That is a shame, as white-fleshed varieties
date back hundreds of years and were developed in Africa
from wild strains. This early variety is not for shipping as it cracks
easily, but you will enjoy their unique crispness, fresh from the
garden.
Item Code: WM150
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Will's Sugar
90 days
Small 10-lb fruit are oval in shape, with dark green, mottled rinds.
This early melon was introduced in 1889 by Oscar H. Will Seed
Co., of Bismarck, North Dakota, whose 1909 catalog describes
them as "Fresh, bright red, perfectly solid, very sweet and of a
delicious flavor..." A great melon that needs to be saved as it is
nearly extinct.
Item Code: WM157
Out of Stock
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Wilson's Sweet
85 days
Very unique spotted rind, with very crisp, sweet red flesh that
bursts with rich, old-time watermelon flavor! One of the best
melons I’ve tried in the last few years. Truly a winner! It used
to be grown commercially, and was offered by several seed
companies in the 1960s, but has since become nearly extinct.
A great variety for home and market gardeners, as it produces
15-to 20-lb fruit that keep well.
Item Code: WM161
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