CANTALOUPE CULTURE AND PEDIGREED CANTALOUPE SEED. 



THE RUST-RESISTANT POLLOCK 



An interesting history of this strain from Mr. Pollock, who had 

 retired from cantaloupe growing, is reprinted from the above named 

 bulletin: 



1908 Colorado Avenue, Colorado Springs, Oct. 6th, 1905. 

 Mr. P. K. Blinn, 

 Dear Sir:- 



Yours at hand; I note what you say regarding the Pollock cantaloupe 

 with pleasure, mainly 'because if you are correct in your conclusions as 

 to its rust resisting qualities, I have been instrumental in doing good to 

 the community. 



Now as to its history; I began growing the strain nine years ago in 

 Holbrook, my first experience in melon culture and farming in Colorado. 



I got two lots of seed from Ellingwood and Hauck, one at 50 cts. per 

 Ib. and the other at $3.00 per Ib. ; the 50c seed grew large melons, too 

 large, not one tenth being of a size to crate. The $3.00 seed produced 

 good cantaloupes, most of them good sized and very heavy netted, not 

 a short melon but correct in length; I saved my seed selecting the proper 

 size and netting, you may draw your own conclusions as to whether 

 there Was cross fertilization producing the origin of my future strain. 



The next year I planted at Rocky Ford; I had a fine growth of vines 

 and setting of cantaloupes, I distinctly remember the heavy growth of 

 vines. It was my first experience with plenty of water, and I over- 

 watered and the rust struck the patch, and I had quite a failure; the 

 w r hole patch was ruined and I was soon counted out at the platform on 

 the score of rusted vines. However, I selected my seed from the patch, 

 selecting a large sized melon with a white close netting, and a perfect 

 cantaloupe as I remember it, in the midst of the rusted vines; I never 

 had much trouble with rust after that, and in the light of your conclu- 

 sions as to its rust resisting tendencies, I now believe, I unwittingly 

 selected a rust resisting melon, as the rest of my crop were slick melons 

 that failed to mature. Thereafter I always had my eye on that same 

 type of melon in selecting my seed; it was a full large sized melon, with 

 netting over the blossom end; not a long melon, but rather inclined to 

 be short, but it had the qualities. By selection I reduced the size of 

 my cantaloupes down till the last two years that I grew them they 

 averaged well to crate nicely. I often thought of changing my stock 

 of seed, but after going through the season, having very little trouble 

 with culls or inferior melons and the quality seeming to me superior 

 in comparison with anything I could get hold of, I stayed with it. I 

 could easily see that they had peculiarities of their own compared with 

 other cantaloupes. 



Now if the using of my name in this connection meets with your ap- 

 proval, it is certainly satisfatcory to me, and I will feel honored. Wishing 

 you success in the work and asking for a copy of your Bulletin, I am, 



Yours truly, 



J. P. POLLOCK. 



This bit of history reveals why this strain of seed shows resistant 

 tendency; it has a line of selection to that end, though unintentional at 

 the time. There is an old law in nature called the "Survival of the fittest," 

 it applies to plants as well as animals; it simply means that in nature, 

 individuals that are able to grow and develop in the midst of adverse con- 

 ditions are thus naturally selected to resist these conditions. 



Mr. Pollock has since informed the writer that the large cantaloupe 

 referred to in his letter was a salmon colored fleshed one, and the well 

 netted one was the regular green fleshed type of the Gem strain. As the 

 Pollock strain has always shown a mixture of both green and salmon type 

 of flesh, it seems reasonable to suppose that this strain was the direct result 

 of cross fertilization between the two strains Mr. Pollock had, and may 

 also account for the resistant tendency of this one strain, while all other 

 strains tested revealed no resistant tendency whatever. 



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