DEPARTMENT OF HORTICULTURE. 125 



THE ORIGIN OF VARIOUS VARIETIES OF 

 AMERICAN MUSKMELONS. 



BY F. WM. RANK. 



The work of studvinsf out the orisfin and history of all our 

 'standard, well known, cultivated American muskmelons has 

 been given considerable attention. The following is pub- 

 lished as a record of what is accumulated at present: 



While the varieties of American muskmelons have received 

 attention by the New Hampshire Station * and an attempt at 

 classification made,! it was thought that by a close investiga- 

 tion into the origin of each variety perhajDS sufficient data 

 might be obtained to indicate more or less the phyla or line 

 of development. 



The writer sent letters to all of our leading seedsmen 

 throughout the country, asking them for all possible informa- 

 tion in regard to their various introductions of muskmelons, 

 viz. : date of introduction, description and photograph of the 

 original fruit, where originated, by whom, whether a known 

 cross, and if so its parentage, etc. He also wrote to many 

 large growers throughout the country for similar assistance in 

 tracing the origin and history of this fruit. Some of our lead- 

 ing agricultural and horticultural papers assisted likewise by 

 publishing a notice free of charge asking for similar informa- 

 tion, and each of the Agricultural College and Experiment 

 Station horticulturists Vk'as consulted and asked to cooperate 

 in the work. 



From these various sources a very liberal response was 

 received. Many seed firms were frank to say that thev had 

 not introduced anything of their own originating, and even 

 most of those offered to the public were not of any definite 

 known crossing, but variations or strains which had been 

 brought out through selection. Some were supposed to be 

 crosses from the fact that other varieties, which the chance 

 seedling or strain seemed to resemble, had been grown near 

 by. Seedsmen, growers, and horticulturists united in not 



*Bulletins Nos. 52 and 72. t Technical Bulletin No. 2. 



