PICKING TIME 21 



of the fine flavor and desirable texture of the flesh. With most 

 of the smaller or Gem type, and many of the medium class, as 

 soon as the melon begins to ripen it cracks about the stem 

 more or less. As soon as this takes place and the fruit com< - 

 off easily leaving the stem behind, the fruit should be gathered 

 and put in a cool place or sent to market. 



This cracking about the stem is very noticeable with some 

 varieties from their excreting a few drops of bright red or 

 salmon-colored juice. 



In some of the larger varieties the stem does not separate 

 from the fruit, or else when it does it leaves too large a hole 

 in the rind. In such cases it is best to cut the stem leaving 

 the lower j)ortion attached to the fruit. Perhaps the most 

 desirable method of telling when these larger melons are ripe 

 is to watch carefully for the first signs of yellowing, which 

 usually appear first in the middle portion of the fruit. As 

 soon as these traces of yellow are seen they should be picked. 

 The conditions of the weather have much to do with the fruit 

 ripening. On hot days fruit ripens very quickly and it is 

 often advisable to make two pickings, one early in the cool 

 portion of the morning and again in the afternoon. An expe- 

 rienced person can usually tell by the general appearance and 

 sense of smell of the fruit; even with the small Gem melons, 

 with a little experience, one can pick out the ripe melons 

 without looking at the characteristic separations about the 

 stem end. With the dark-skinned varieties it is perhaps more 

 difficult, but even here the general remarks already made apply 

 equally well. 



While on this subject we may also be asked, how is the 

 consumer who purchases this fruit upon the market to know 

 whether it is ripe or not? This question is not an easy one 

 and somewhat problematical. With the small or Gem melons, 

 they should not have been picked until the stem separates from 

 them; hence if the stems are on they undoubtedly were picked 

 green and are of doubtful value. It will be noticed, however, 

 that many of the earlier of these fruits that come from the 

 South to our northern markets do have their stems on and a 

 portion of them may be fair flavored for that season of the 



