126 FRUIT RECIPES 



origin and merge exact dates because of present riches- 

 Broadly speaking, there are three classes of melons, to 

 the first belonging the larger, watermelons ; to the second 

 the muskmelon, canteloupe, and nutmeg group, and to 

 the third the citron melons. All of them are members of 

 the CucurbitacecB, or Gourd Family, to which, also, the 

 pumpkin, squash, and cucumber belong. The watermelon, 

 Citrullus citrullus, is, in a sense, "a thing apart," being 

 considered a distinct genus. It is in this, with its many 

 varieties, that we particularly revel in America. The 

 Kaukoor {Citrullus utillissimus), is a favourite variety of 

 melon in India. It is rather a small, oval, and yellow- 

 meated melon of which both the flesh and seeds are prized: 

 the former pickled or used in curries, or uncooked. The 

 oily seeds, when round, form a farinaceous meal; the oil, 

 extracted, is used for lamp oil; the seeds are also used 

 medicinally. In Egypt and Arabia the favourite melon is 

 the Chate {Citrullus chate) which much resembles the 

 American watermelon. 



Our grandmothers made good use of all three of the 

 types known to the United States. The citron melon was 

 especially esteemed for rich conserves. On the other hand" 

 it made the simplest of sauces. The canteloupe group was 

 highly regarded as a basis for pickles and marmalades, and 

 the watermelon as conserves or medicine. This last melon 

 is particularly refreshing, arriving as it does with the 

 greatest heat of the year. Unripe, like the muskmelon, 

 {Cucumis inelo) it is apt to produce unpleasant, colicky 

 symptoms, but thoroughly ripe furnishes safety to the 

 system with the carrying away of any feverish tendency. 

 Among many foreign peoples, as formerly in our own 

 country, the fresh simple juice is considered excellent for 

 the liver, kidneys, and bladder, and the seeds, like those of 

 the pumpkin and cucumber, "bruised and rubbed up with 



