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nerves on the upper surface, and being vcr)- 

 rough with bristles. In the flowers tlie seg- 

 ments of the calyx are much longer, and the 

 corolla of a deeper yellow than in the Melon. 

 They are male and female on the same plant, in 

 the same or diflerent fruits ; the latter succeeded 

 by oblong, rough fruit. 



The principal varieties are : the Common 

 rousrh green prickly, six or seven inches lonsr, 

 with a^ark crcen skin, closely set with small 

 rickles, anil w hich is hardy, a plentiful bearer, 

 ut does not fruit early. The Short green prickly, 

 three or four inches long, with a rather smooth 

 skin, bur having small Clack prickles ; it is one 

 of the hardiest" and earliest sorts. The Long 

 green prickly, which is from six to eight or nine 

 mches Ions,' thinly set with prickles, and a good 

 bearer: there is a sub-variety with white truit. 

 The Earlv green cluster, which is shortish, early, 

 w ith the 'flowers in clusters. The Long smooth 

 green Turkey, with large stalks and leaves, and 

 the fruit generally from ten to fifteen inches 

 Ion;:, with'a smooth rind without prickles. The 

 Long smooth white Turkey, w hich is less wa- 

 tery ,""and of better quality. The Large smooth 

 green Roman, with long, large fruit, quite 

 smooth. The Lone white prickly Dutch, with 

 fruit eight or ten inches long, w hite, with small 

 black prickles, w hich is a bad bearer, less hardy, 

 but the fruit not so watery, and w ith fewer seeds. 

 The second species has roots composed of nu- 

 merous verv stout, wide-spreading fibres; the 

 stems procumbent or trailing to a great length, 

 and verv much branched, furnished w ith tendrils 

 for climbing : the leaves are palmate-sinuate, or 

 entire, waving about the edge, and slightly 

 toothed, with" rounded corners; rough with 

 bristles: the flowers pale yellow, lateral, and so- 

 litar\-. Those termed female have four large an- 

 thers, and the germ is subglobular, and covered 

 with white hairs. •' This discovery (Martyn 

 obsc^^•e5) of the flowers usually called females 

 beinir real hermaphrodites with fertile anthers, 

 as tlicv seem to be, makes it probably less neces- 

 sary to carry- the males to them, as practised by 

 some (T.ardeners, though nature having provided 

 male flowers, it is most likely that the pollen in 

 the anthers «)f the others is frequently defective ." 

 The fruit is roundish or oval, blunt, commonly 

 furrowed longitudinally, sometimes netted, some- 

 times warted or carbuncUd, from four to ten or 

 twelve inches in length and diameter, yellow ish 

 green, or white;- the pulp being firm, musky, 

 reddish, ^eldom green. It was first introduced 

 into Europe from Persia. 



Tiicre are numerous varieties ; but those most 

 deserving of cultivation are the Cantaleupe, so 

 called from a pkice near Rome, where it has been 



long cultivated. Its flesh, when in perfection, 

 is delicious, and mav be eaten w ith safety. The 

 outer coat is very rough, and full of knobs 

 and protuberances, like warts; it is of a nnd- 

 dlini size, rather round than long, and the flesh, 

 for llie most part, of an orange colour. 'I'herc 

 are several suh-varicties, such as The I^rgc black 

 Carbuneled, or Black Rock, which is of a blackish 

 green-colour; Ijrge arecn C'aibuncled, Large 

 while Carbuneled, and the Orange. 



The Romana, which is forwarder in the season 

 than the above. 



The Succado, which is also a good sort when 

 cultivated for early fruit, but inferior to the Can- 

 taleupe. 



The Zatte is likewise a good sort, but 

 very small, seldom bigger than a large orange; 

 it is a little flatted at the two ends, and the outer 

 coat is warted like the Cantaleupe. 



The small Portugal, sometimes termed the 

 Dormer Melon, is a pretty good fruit, the plants 

 generally producing them in plenty. It may be 

 cultivated for an early crop. 



The Black Galloway, introduced from Portu- 

 gal bv Lord Gallowav, is likewise a good sort 

 for early cultivation, as the fruit ripens in a very 

 short time from its first setting. 



Culture. — In the raising and producing of 

 these fruits, much care and attention is neces- 

 sary, as well as a considerable deiiree of skill 

 in the renulation, management, and application 

 of the heat which is required to bring them to 

 perfection. 



Culture in the Cucumler Kind. — The method 

 of raising these plants is by sowing the seeds 

 annually in hot-beds covered by frames and 

 glasses for the early production of truit, and in 

 thj open ground for the late crops. The former 

 mode nnist, however, in general be practised in 

 some deirrec or other, till the season becomes 

 perfectly warm and settled, as towards the be- 

 srinninir of June. Various methods of applyini^ 

 heat iir the producing of this fruit at early anD 

 late periods have been employed and recom- 

 mended; but those which have had the greatest 

 success are dung hot-beds, bark hot- beds, steam- 

 pans, and flued pits. It is obvious that, in what- 

 ever manner artificial heat is made use of in this 

 intention, the great point to be attended to is 

 that of communicating and coiuinuing it in ;is 

 reirular and equal a way as possible. But there 

 is another circumstance which deserves consi- 

 deration in the business, w hich is that of its be- 

 in<t atx'ompanicd with a suitable degree of mois- 

 ture. It is principally on this account that sta- 

 ble-dung answers more completely in the raising 

 of this son of fruit than tanners' bark, or the 

 use of flued pits. 



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