Kolb's Gem Watermelon, which is also known under the names of Cobb's Gem, State Fair and American Champion Watermelon, is a 19th century exhibition quality watermelon that produces huge watermelons weighing beyond 100 pounds in weight. This wonderful giant watermelon was originally developed by Reuben F. Kolb of Alabama in the 1880's. Kolb's Gem was first introduced to the public at large by D.M. Ferry and Co. in 1885 and was also recorded by the Nebraska Seed Company of Omaha, Nebraska in their annual catalogue in 1898. Its first documented appearance under the name of "Cobb's Gem" ocurred after the turn of the century when it was exhibited at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missourri in 1904. Following this, the variety came to be the watermelon of choice for exhibition growers and also picked up the names "State Fair Watermelon" and "American Champion Watermelon".

Reuben Francis Kolb (1839-1918), the creator of this watermelon variety was an important historical figure in Alabama State History who lived in Montogomery, Alabama where he was a planter by trade. His family came from Germanic stock and came to settle in South Carolina in the 1760's. His great grandfather, Colonel Abel Kolb was an American Revolutionary War Hero who was killed on the night of April 27-28th, 1781 at his farm on the Pee Dee River in South Carlina. A memorial devoted to Abel Kolb can still be found at the intersection of US 15-401 and Road 167 at Pee Dee River, South Carloina. Reuben F. Kolb served as a Sargent in Company B of the 1st Alabama Confederate Regiment. for 12 months during the American Civil War (1861-1865). In 1862, he was promoted to the rank of Captain and organized and commanded an artillery company now known to history as "Kolb's Battery". In the 1880's, after the creation of his Kolb's Gem Watermelon, R.F. Kolb had gained sufficient fortune and fame that he was elected to the office of Commisioner of Agriculture in Alabama from 1887 to 1891. Kolb soon emerged as a powerful spokesman for farmer's interests in his state and ran for the office of Governor of Alabama in 1890, 1892 and 1894, subsequently losing all three electorial bids. In 1911, he was again elected to his old post of Commisioner of Agriculture, which he occupied until 1915. Through his lifetime, Kolb's influence on his state's agriculture was so great that in 1941, a paper entitled "Reuben Francis Kolb: His Influence on Agriculture in Alabama." was published by Auburn University. 

More information about Kolb, his family and Kolb's Battery is available on varying other websites for the inquisitive. More biographical information is available on the Alabama Department of History Archives Site at this link. A guide to a collection of Kolb family scrapbooks documenting his life are available at this direct link from the Auburn Special Collections Library. More information is available about Kolb's Battery at these direct links at RootsWeb, Eclectic Projects.  More information about Kolb's political career are available on these links at Southern Opinion, Alabama Moments, Constitutional Reform and here.

Kolb's Gem is a very productive Watermelon cultivar that prior to the development of the variety Carolina Cross, was the predominant watermelon variety grown for exhibition purposes in the United States. Watermelons of this variety weighing over 130 pounds have been recorded and the variety consistantly produces watermelons weighing in at over 100 pounds each. The watermelons themselves are very attractive and feature a dark green rind with beautiful pale green stripes.
The watermelons are nearly round in their shape and feature a sweet red flesh. Matures in approximately 100 days.

Buy watermelon seeds now with your credit card for $1.99

Quantity: 20+ hand selected watermelon seeds 
Price: $1.99 per seed packet