THE MUSKMELON. 173 



THE MUSKMELON. 



Cucumis melo. 



Plant running, varying in length from five to eight 

 feet ; leaves large, angular, heart-shaped, and rough on the 

 upper and under surface ; flowers yellow, one-petalled, five- 

 pointed, and about an inch in diameter ; seeds oval, flat, 

 generally yellow, but sometimes nearly white, about four 

 tenths of an inch in length, and three sixteenths of an inch 

 in breadth, the size, however, varying to a considerable 

 extent in the different varieties. An ounce contains from 

 nine hundred to eleven hundred seeds ; and they retain their 

 germinative properties from eight to ten years. 



Varieties. These are exceedingly numerous, in conse- 

 quence of the great facility with which the various kinds 

 intermix or hybridize. Varieties are, however, much more 

 easily produced than retained ; consequently, old names are 

 almost annually discarded from the catalogues of seedsmen 

 and gardeners, and new names, with superior recommenda- 

 tions, offered in their stead. The following list embraces 

 most of the kinds of much prominence or value now culti- 

 vated either in Europe or this country : 



Fruit nearly spherical, but rather longer than Beechwood. 

 broad, usually five or six inches in diameter ; skin green- 

 ish-yellow, thickly and regularly netted ; flesh green, melt- 

 ing, sugary, and excellent. An early and fine variety. 



A large-fruited, late variety ; form variable, Black-Bock 



Cantaloupe, 

 but generally round, and flattened at the ends ; Loud. 



size large, ten inches in diameter, eight inches deep, and 

 weighing eight or ten pounds. The skin varies in color 

 from grayish-green to deep green ; becomes yellow at matu- 

 rity, and is thickly spread with knobby bunches, or small 

 15* 



