CANTALOUPE CULTURE AND PEDIGREED CANTALOUPE SEED. 



Plate No. 13 Type of Old "Netted Gem." Colo. Exp. Sta. 



HISTORY OF SOME OF THE STRAINS OF 

 ROCKY FORD CANTALOUPES 



The Netted Geni variety was introduced from France, about 1880, 

 and it was this variety, grown at Rocky Ford, Colorado, that at once 

 popularized the cantaloupe, on account of the exceptional fine flavor and 

 marketing qualities of this cantaloupe as grown under Colorado condi- 

 tions. The general type of this cantaloupe is shown in Plate No. 13, a 

 closely netted type with clear cut sectors, as a rule small in size, averag- 

 ing about one and a quarter pounds, green fleshed shading to yellow at 

 the seed cavity, of a very sweet spicy flavor. 



In the early history of the industry, the growers around Rocky Ford 

 purchased their seed from eastern seed firms, but on a number of occa- 

 sions badly mixed seed was the result, and different growers began to 

 save their own seed, while all of the "Gem" type of cantaloupe, different 

 growers had different conceptions of the ideal type, with these different 

 ideas of selection, and possibly some cross fertilization from the mixed 

 lots of seed, there developed several quite distinct strains of the now 

 popularly known variety of Rocky Ford Netted Gem; some with a solid 

 net, that is, uniformly netted all over, without the clear cut sectors and 

 there were various other distinguishing traits. 



About 1900 the "melon rust" became serious, and the Colorado Ex- 

 periment Station, instituted several experiments in spraying, and in 1904 

 began the investigation to develop a disease resistant strain of the Rocky 

 Ford variety. A comparative test of the different strains were tried 

 under uniform conditions, and it was found that one strain that had 

 been developed by Mr. J. P. Pollock revealed the desired trait to a marked 

 degree, the report of these investigations has been reported in the Colorado 

 Bulletin No. 104. 



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