82 



REVIEWS. 



Art. I. Transactions of the Horticultural Society of London. 

 Second Series. Vol. I. Part I. 4to. London, Hatchard. 



{Continued from Vol. VIII. p. 439.) 



18. Journal of Meteorological Observations made in the Garden of 

 the Horticultural Society at Chisvoick during the Year 1828. By 

 Mr. William Beattie Booth, A.L.S. 



This paper occupies 16 pages, and is illustrated by an 

 engraved diagram. 



19. An Account of the striped Hoosainee Persian Melon. By 

 Thomas A. Knight, Esq. F.R.S., President. Read Oct. 4. 1831. 



Mr. Knight believes that the seeds of many different varie- 

 ties of melon \NeYe received from Persia under the same 

 name. The striped Hoosainee was introduced in 1824; and 

 from Mr. Lindley, in the winter of 1830, Mr. Knight re- 

 ceived seeds. From these one plant only was produced, and 

 this so feeble, that it was difficultly kept alive ; but by great 

 cai'e, and by engrafting two of its feeble lateral shoots upon 

 two of the plants growing in contiguous pots, he succeeded 

 in obtaining three melons. The plant offered blossoms very 

 freely, and would have borne fruit much sooner than it did ; 

 but, when " I wish to preserve the seeds of the fruit, I never 

 suffer fruits to set, nor even blossoms to unfold, till the powers 

 of the plant to nourish its fruit have been given time to accu- 

 mulate." Of the three melons, the largest weighed not more 

 than four pounds ; their form oval, a third longer than broad ; 

 their colour dark-green, in broad stripes, with narrow inter- 

 vals of dull white, which became faintly yellow, as the fruit, 

 which was much netted, approached maturity. The pulp was 

 externally green, but more internally pale red, excessively 

 juicy, and more perfectly melting than that of the finest 

 Ispahan | and its juice was more sweet and highly flavoured 

 than I had ever previously found that of any other fruit of the 

 species to be. Gardeners and other persons all expressed the 

 same opinion of its merits. Mr. Knight grew and ripened 

 his fruit very slowly ; but all ripened well without bursting, 

 and remained sound and perfect a fortnight after they had 

 been gathered, and all became externally very soft, without 

 exhibiting any symptoms of approaching decay. 



