1.   Afterward, he bought a farm in Miccosukee, Fla., near Tallahassee and began growing watermelon and corn and raising cattle.

2.   But Voth, a tall, thin man with a passion for growing giant watermelons, just shrugged off such criticism with a quiet, understanding smile.

3.   Several years ago, an American friend living in Germany decided to try growing watermelon.

4.   But the proceeds from the auction are instead to go towards research into growing watermelons, the report said.