18 EXPERIMENTS WITH MUSKMELONS 



EXPERIMENT NO. I 



MONCECTOUS VS. PERFECT FLOWERS 



Among the interesting things found out in studying the 

 muskmelon is that while we have considered this fruit to be 

 monoecious, generally speaking, I find it is perfect. Out of 

 ninety-three varieties examined the pistillate or female blos- 

 soms contained stamens and pollen in eighty-three. The re- 

 maining ten to all appearances were monoecious, and consist 

 entirely of the larger varieties, viz., Nos. 3, 37, 43, 44, 54, 56, 

 GO, 76, 82, and 87. For names see pages 31-33. 



My attention was first called to the fact when examining 

 the so-called pistillate flowers of the forcing house when plan- 

 ning an experiment in hand pollination and crossing. 



The forcing house melons being in advance of those outside, 

 the experiment began here. Upon examining the first pistil- 

 late flower, I was surprised to find what I took to be well-de- 

 veloped stamens. 



Further examination with the other varieties in the house 

 also pointed to a similar conclusion. Upon still further inves- 

 tigation with the microscope, I found that not only were they 

 well developed but that these stamens were very prolific with 

 pollen. On comparing them with those of the pistillate flow- 

 ers, in each case coming from the same varieties, the pollen 

 was equally as abundant. 



Thinking this might be a freak due to the unusual condi- 

 tions of the forcing house, or, second, a mistake as regards 

 the purported facts, further examination was carried on as fol- 

 lows: In order to settle the first question, these same varieties 

 were examined out of doors as they came into bloom and were 

 found not to vary in the least. 



Being further interested in the question, Mr. A. Z. Norcross, 

 an advanced student, was delegated in the summer of 1898 to 

 examine all of the varieties, which resulted in the data given 

 above. Upon consultation into the literature upon the sub- 

 ject as far as I was able to go, the fact is not recognized. Gray's 

 Manual of Botany, "The flowers are dioecious or monoecious";. 



