MELON-GROWING IN THE HOUSE 167 



It is not difTicult to obtain different forms of Melons. In a mixed house 

 of fruit, or where there are three or four varieties together, and especially in the 

 Summer when the bees are busy, there will certainly be a haphazard mixture. 

 But where improvements of any pretension have been made, cross-fertilization 

 has been carried out systematically and records have been kept of the 

 parentage. The one firm which has perhaps done the most valuable work 

 in sending out new varieties remarkable for size, vigor and rich flavor, is 

 that of Sutton and Sons, of Reading, England. It has been engaged in 

 this work for many years and its introductions are widely known, in this 

 country also, and appreciated both for their strong, robust constitution and 

 free setting qualities. 



It is not uncommon for a promising seedling to spring up here and tiiere 

 from time to time. Some of these new varieties may prove successful, but il 

 is well to give any seedling that is put on the market a preliminary trial, and if 

 it stands the test and is an impro\'ement on the varieties already on hand, the 

 grower can only gain by including it in his assortment. Moreover, it is inter- 

 esting to give anything new a test, even if it is to be cast aside when it does not 

 fulfill expectations. All growers will agree with me when I say, that a new fruit 

 is watched with a careful eye from the time that the seed is put into the earth 

 until the period of maturity. 



Melons will thrive in different kinds of houses. As a Summer crop thej- 

 are not very exacting, providing there is plenty of sunlight. It takes less skill 

 to produce a satisfactory crop during the long days of the Summer, than it does 

 toward the Fall and in the Winter months. Melons are one of the most 

 exacting of crops during the short days, requiring a fairly steady temperature 

 both night and day. A check of any kind means ruination to the crop. This, 

 in fact, holds good Winter and Summer, but as the latter crop is grown under 

 more natural conditions, with no artificial heat, and only the sun's rays on the 

 glass, it naturally is not so liable to get chilled. 



Indoor Melons are becoming very popular among the wealthy, and the glass 

 area devoted to their culture is much greater now than it was even a few years 

 ago. Where this fruit is grown to the highest state of perfection the demand 

 for it is always keen, but if it is of poor finish it may go begging. So it rests 

 in the last instance with us growers whether the Melon is in demand or not. 

 We often find fault with a certain variety for its lack of flavor, when it very 

 probably is due to our own bad management. I know this from practical expe- 

 rience. Yet some varieties unquestionably have a much richer flavor than 

 others, and it may also happen that certain kinds can be grown successfully in 

 one locality, while they may be a failure in another. We very often find, in 

 going around among the different growers, that each will favor different varieties. 

 Soil and location are no doubt responsible to a certain extent for such prefer- 

 ences. The same also holds good for outdoor Melons. The best thing to do, 

 in making a selection, is to test a number of varieties, and then choose the most 

 satisfactory doers on our own particular ground. 



Three or four years ago, when Sutton's Emerald Gem was sent out, I gave 

 it a trial. With me it would grow from eight to ten pounds per fruit, fine look- 



