488 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



Fig. 2182. Musk Melon. 



©MIT Aff olid^tedl i@(gO(§i^O^S, 



Toronto Junction. — An interesting matting of 

 the Toronto Junction Horticultural Society was 

 held on Friday evening, the 20th inst., in the High 

 School, upon which occasion Mr. J. B. Spurr gave 

 a paper on "Meions," practically illustrated by 

 about forty specimens, embracing several different 

 varieties. In the collection were watermelons with 

 red seeds, black seeds and white seeds, red flesh, 

 pink flesh and yellow flesh, golden rind, black rind, 

 and rind with dark and light stripes, also musk- 

 melons and cantaloupes in great variety, some 

 netted and others with smooth skin, some red flesh, 

 others with green flesh ; ovalmelons, roundmelons, 

 melons with ribs, melons without ribs, button mel- 

 ons and long melons like huge bananas. Mr. F. 

 C. Colbeck, president of the society, occupied the 

 chair, and around the long table were a number of 

 interested listeners. Mr. Spurr's lecture dealt first 

 with the early history of the melon, and traced the 

 development of the netted musk melon from the 

 rough and warty exterior of the cantaloupe, the 

 first form of melon introduced into Europe, so 

 named from the Castle of Cantaloupe in southern 

 Italy, in the gardens around which the melons 

 were first grown from seed introduced from Ar- 

 menia. The lecturer had with him melons grown 

 from seed which had been imported from Syria, 

 Germany, England, the Transvaal, California 

 and many American and Canadian localities. The 

 largest watermelon grown was the Australian 

 watermelon, which matured in the latter part of 

 August and weighed 23^^ lbs. Only one hill of 

 this variety was planted, none of the fruits were 

 thinned out and the vine matured nine large fruits. 

 The Australian melon is a red seeded variety with 



deep red flesh and was pronounced the best flavored 

 by those who were present. It is not claimed for 

 it that it grows to a large size. 



The Cuban Queen, which sometimes grows to a 

 weight of 90 lbs., did not go more than 22 lbs. 

 This watermelon is late in maturing and not espec- 

 ially adapted to the Canadian climate, although 

 of excellent quality where sufficient heat is at com- 

 mand to mature it properly. 



Another large watermelon did not succeed 

 better than some of the common watermelons 

 grown from seed purchased in the stores 

 in the previous summer. About 22 lbs. was 

 as large as this melon grew. Ice Cream, 

 Dixie, Fair Oaks hybrid. Golden Rind and a white 

 seeded variety from Syria were also grown, also 

 Green and Gold, a very sweet melon, rather under- 

 size, with bright yellow flesh and yellow seeds. 



Among musk melons few of great size were ex- 

 hibited. All the large Montreal Market, Pride of 

 Alaska and Perfection melons had been stolen out 

 of the garden a short time previously. Of 

 these the Montreal Market would probably have 

 been the largest ; but the Perfection melon, seed of 

 which was imported from the Transvaal, might 

 have equalled it. The Perfection melon is illus- 

 trated in the photogravure accompanying this ar- 

 ticle and is the large netted melon so conspicuous 

 in the picture. This melon tipped the scales at 

 I7j lbs. To the right is a cantaloupe, Cantaloupe 

 Von Trevana, to illustrate the difference between 

 a cantaloupe and a melon, and on the table are two 

 mature melons of the Jenny Lind variety to con- 

 trast with the large netted one. In the background 

 is a spray of the wild aster, Aster Multiflora, which 



