374 THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



Parisian Prolific Pickle and Early Netted Russian are 

 best. For slicing, Long Green and Nichol Medium 

 Green may be added to White Spine. For use ripe, Giant 

 Pera and Giant White are popular in some places. 



The Snake cucumber makes good pickles, but is chiefly 

 valuable as a curiosity. 



West India Gherkins (Fig. 247) are thrifty and prolific, 

 and make good pickles if cut young. 



MTJSKMELONS should be grown 

 on warm, sandy land. Soil and 

 location make very much dif- 

 ference with the quality. The 

 small green -fleshed netted varie- 

 ties, improperly called canteloupes 

 in many parts, are the favorites 

 for- garden culture. Of these, 

 Early Netted Gem and Jenny Lind 

 are the standards. Hackensack is 



a large spherical melon of fine 

 247. West India Gherkin. 



quality for home or market gar- 

 den. The Montreal Market is still a size larger, and 

 may be relied on for yield and quality. Banquet is a 

 fine, round, yellow-fleshed variety. Osage is an excellent 

 melon of high quality. There are many other fine melons 

 offered in almost every seed catalogue, and nearly every 

 neighborhood has some favorite local variety. 



WATERMELONS are grown to perfection only in the 

 South, but, South and North, demand a warm soil and 

 exposure. There are several white or yellow -fleshed va- 

 rieties, but aside from their oddity of appearance they 

 have little value. A good watermelon has a solid, bright 

 red flesh, preferably with black seeds, and a strong pro- 

 tecting rind. Kolb Gem, The Jones, Boss, Cuban Queen 

 and Dixie are the best varieties in general cultivation. 



SQUASH. Most of the squashes are especially liable to 

 the insect attacks mentioned on the last page. It is, there- 



