AN ACCOUNT OF SOME HYBRID MELONS. 301 



being outermost, B. From the seeds of B, I got none with the 

 two colours lilce itself, and concluded tlie variety would not be 

 permanent; but two of tlie produce, botli with pale-green flesh, 

 were so fine as to induce me to preserve the seeds, C, D. 



This season I sowed some seeds of C, and obtained two 

 Melons, E, F, very different in external appearance. One of 

 tliem, E, had a smooth buff-coloured skin, with some netting, and 

 resembled a very fine seedling I had raised about twelve years 

 ago, and which has proved permanent, and is named the 

 Catherine Melon.* The fruit E had flesh of two colours, red 

 and green, like B. The inner flesh was red, and without any 

 defined line passed into green. The red flesh, instead of being 

 firm like that of most of tlie reds, was full of rich juice. Besides 

 being a curiosity this melon is a very fine one and a good bearer. 



At the time my melon-beds were set to work, I had, unfor- 

 tunately, a very ignorant gardener, whom I dismissed ; but before 

 the beds were committed to better hands almost all my plants 

 were lost. I succeeded, however, in obtaining three ripe melons, 

 F. Of the fruit F there was a good show. It was, externally, 

 like the Beechwood, but of a more perfectly oval shape — a solid 

 ellipse and netted all over. Several of these got loose from the 

 stem before they were ripe, and one only remained, small and 

 rather unsightly, and was neglected as of no value ; nevertheless 

 it grew apace, and attained the weight of nearly two pounds. 

 The plant on which it grew withered away, I had forgot this 

 solitary fruit; but looking into the frame when about to arrange 

 it for the reception of cuttings, I put the Melon into my pocket. 

 After dinner I produced it to some persons well accustomed to 

 fine fruit ; when I cut it I was struck with an appearance of rich- 

 ness, and the general exclamation was, " I never tasted so 

 delicious a melon." So much for the neglected fruit, I do not 

 hesitate to rank it with the Beechwood (which I reckon the 

 standard English Melon) and the Catherine, Of the numerous 

 varieties T have tasted, I esteem as the finest these three and the 

 Bicolor (so the one with green and red flesh may be named), the 

 flavour of which partakes most of that of the red sorts, while it 

 is far more juicy. This last cannot, as yet, be declared per- 

 manent, though it is likely it may be so, since it has re-appeared 

 after disappearing for one generation. As I do not in raising 

 new varieties speculate for profit, I shall be happy to attend to 

 any application for seeds from bond fide lovers of the Melon, in 

 the hope that I may receive some. account of the produce. 



* The Catherine Melon was declared, by a Committee of the Caledonian 

 Horticultural Society, to be equal, if not superior, to the Melons which 

 gained the first prizes the two last years, viz. the Duke of Bedford and 

 Irish Green-fleshed. It rivals the Beechwood, 



