CHAP. II. DESSERT FRUITS. 189 



a preserve of green Gooseberries. Crops are produced twice in 

 the year, about the end of April and again about the end of 

 August. Plants may be propagated by sowing the stones. 



CUCUKBITACE^:. 

 Cucumis Melo. 



MELON. 



Khurlooza. 



The culture of the superior kinds of Melon requires consider- 

 able attention, but there is hardly a fruit that better deserves it. 

 The kind which ranks as finest of all, called the Surdah, is a 

 native of Caubool, and has not, that I am aware, been cultivated 

 with success in any part of India. The fruits are brought 

 occasionally to the Punjab for the wealthy natives, and a friend 

 told me that when at Mooltan an offer of six rupees which he 

 made for a single one was refused, so highly are they prized. 

 I have several times raised plants in my garden at Ferozepore. 

 They throve moderately well, but bore only one or two fruits, 

 which always rotted on the under side before beginning to ripen. 

 From a portion of one which remained partially sound I was 

 enabled to discover how delicious this fruit must be when raised 

 in perfection. The seeds of this kind are at once to be distin- 

 guished from those of any other, being fully four times larger. 



The next kind, second perhaps only to the Surdah, and superior 

 to any other with which I am acquainted, is, I believe, also of 

 Caubool. Like the Surdah, too, it is of the green-flesh sort. It 

 is of large oval form, with very smooth, pale-green exterior, 

 traced here and there with a delicate network. This succeeded 

 most satisfactorily at Ferozepore, and was the one which I 

 cultivated exclusively. The seeds of this also may be known by 

 the largeness of their size. 



" Seeds of two kinds of fragrant Melon seed from Buxar " 

 have been lately presented to the Agri-Horticultural Society 

 by Mr. W. H. Bartlett, who remarked: "With culture in a 

 manured soil, the smaller of these Melons may be grown to a 

 size somewhat larger than a large goose's egg, with a bright 

 yellow rind. The flavour is slightly sub-acid, exceedingly 



