98 Southern Gardener's Practical Manual 



which do not form a head. The latter are preferred by 

 many for home use and are much grown for local 

 markets. The heading varieties are grown for shipping. 



Early Curled Simpson is a general favorite for the 

 early crop. It does not head but forms a very showy 

 plant, with its curled leaves arranged in a compact mass. 

 It is tender, crisp and quite ornamental. I have 

 grown this varietj' for many j^ears, and still use it under 

 coldframes. The Black -seeded Simpson is similar to 

 the curled but grows much larger. This is an excellent 

 variety for early spring sowing and transplanting to the 

 open ground. Boston Market or White- seeded Tennis 

 Ball is the most desirable early -heading variety to be 

 grown in the coldframe or for forcing. California 

 Cream Butter has been grown with very satisfactory 

 results. It produces compact heads, tender and crisp. 

 There are numerous excellent varieties offered bj^ the 

 seedsmen. The old Hanson variety has been improved 

 until it ranks with the best. All of the varieties are 

 good, some better and some best for certain localities. 



Select the best plants and save for seed. One plant 

 will produce more seed than needed for the home 

 garden . 



MUSKMELONS ( CANT ALOUPES ) 



Cantaloupes, as known in the South, and muskmelons 

 in the northern seed catalogues, are the most popular 

 fruit in their season, from June to September. All first- 

 class hotels and restaurants serve them at breakfast. 

 The soil best adapted to them is a deep, fertile, sandy 

 loam heavily manured broadcast and in the drill or hill. 



