Juno, '14] MENDELISM IN MELONS. 11 



fond blanc. A silvery variety (argente) is also grown. Delices 

 de la table belongs to the latter or silvery class. All these melons 

 have roundish irregular, somewhat ribbed fruits, the skin being 

 mottled with shades of green and white, and toward the ripening 

 period assume shades of yellowish brown. 



OBJECT OF THE EXPERIMENT. 



Recognizing the fundamental importance of heredity, and its 

 great value when applied to the practice of breeding, this work 

 presented an opportunity to ascertain, if possible, how melons 

 Mendelize. Gregor Mendel pointed out that, in a breeding ex- 

 periment, plants must be selected that possess differentiating 

 characters, and that the hybrid plants must be protected from 

 the influence of foreign pollen during the flowering period. The 

 former requirement was adequately fulfilled in the selection of a 

 muskmelon and a cantaloupe as each of these possessed differ- 

 entiating characters. The latter requirement was easily and 

 readily accomplished in utiUzing a greenhouse for this purpose, 

 the ventilators and openings to the house being kept carefully 

 screened by the use of mosquito netting. 



CHARACTERS CONSIDERED. 



In breeding work there are many characters which may be 

 considered in any given kind of plants but only the outstanding 

 ones, which the student believes would be carried as unit-charac- 

 ters and can be easily determined, are selected. The following 

 characters are readily studied in melons and hence are here con- 

 sidered: 



1. As regards Form of Fruit. 



2. As regards Color of Skin. 



3. As regards Size of Seeds. 



4. As regards Size of Fruits. 



5. As regards Ribbing. 



6. As regards Netting. 



Also whether in melon-breeding work the recognition of the 

 following forms of heredity are manifest : 



(a) Blended Inheritance. Whether in crossing parents which 

 differ regarding certain pairs of allelomorphs the hybrid is found 

 to be a blend. 



