232 HISTORY OF FRUITS. 



No country has a greater variety of melons than Eng- 

 land ; yet it is so rare to find them good in the market, 

 that the demand for them in London, compared to that 

 in Paris, cannot be more than in the proportion of one to 

 a thousand. 



From the attention now paid to horticultural pursuits, 

 and the advantage of steam-pits instead of stable-dung 

 for growing this fruit, we may hope not only to equal our 

 continental neighbours in quantity, but to excel them in 

 quality, which is already done in private gardens. A 

 melon of the large netted cantelope, was cut on the 10th 

 of September 1821, at Denby Grange, the seat of Sir 

 J. L. Kaye, Bart, which weighed eighteen pounds : the 

 circumference was two feet six inches, and measured 

 lengthways two feet ten inches and a half; the eatable 

 depth of the slice was full two inches and a half, and 

 the flavour of a very superior quality. 



The Spanish winter-melon has lately been introduced 

 in. our gardens, and it is a great addition to our desserts, 

 as it possesses the quality of keeping sound until February. 

 The author partook of one of these melons in the middle 

 of January last, that had retained its firmness and flavour, 

 although it had been cut in the month of September. 



Among the numerous varieties of melons we have lately 

 seen introduced, is the Green-fleshed Egyptian. The flesh 

 is semi-transparent, green next the skin, and becoming 

 white in the centre ; it is perfectly melting, rich, sweet, 

 and high-flavoured, and is said to be an abundant bearer, 

 and generally of a size from two to three pounds each ; 

 and, like all the green melons, the flesh of this is more 

 digestible than that of the red varieties, and this variety 

 in particular is considered as having that quality more re- 

 markably than any other. It has also the merit of ripen- 

 ing its flesh very close up to its skin, and consequently 



