672 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Hardy ridge. — Skin thick, yellow; flesh red; 

 a good bearer, although late in ripening; from 



3 to 4 lb. 



The above are of moderate size, and quite 

 sufficient in variety for any family. Those who 

 wish for very large fruit, may grow the Old 

 hlacJe rock, which often attains the weight of 

 14 lb., three parts of which is composed of un- 

 eatable skin, carbuncles, and seeds, and of no 

 particular good flavour; or if even larger be 

 desired, the French and some of the Italian 

 sorts may be grown, whose properties, in this 

 country, are little better than gourds. 



Of Winter melons, the 



Green Valencia, although not rich in fla- 

 vour, is firm, saccharine, and juicy; and upon 

 the whole, if fully ripened, better than many of 

 the summer varieties grown. 



Dampsha. — The flesh of which is dark-green 

 near the skin, rather whitish towards the centre, 

 quite melting, and of excellent flavour. The 

 first-produced fruit in the season is somewhat 

 cylindrical, bluntly pointed at both ends, the 

 whole surface being prominently netted, and of 

 a pale yellow or dark olive colour. The second- 

 ary crop has the fruit more pointed and less 

 netted, and the skin becomes much darker. The 

 great merit of this section is, that they keep 

 for a month or two if suspended in a net in a 

 dry room; 4 to 6 lb. 



De la Moree. — Skin thin, yellow; flesh green- 

 ish white; a winter melon of great merit; from 



4 to S lb. 



The Persian melons are with us fewer in num- 

 ber; but of those, hybrids are now produced of 

 great excellence, the principal of which is 

 the Dampsha, already noticed; and the following 

 ought to be cultivated in preference to many 

 others : — 



The Sweet melon of Ispahan. — ^With ovate fruit 

 from 8 to 12 inches in length; skin of a deep 

 sulphur colour, nearly smooth; flesh white, 

 crisp, sugary, and very rich. Of this excellent 

 sort some interesting varieties have been raised 

 by Mr Fleming, possessing merits deserving of 

 very general cultivation; 6 to 10 lb. 



Geree, or Ostrich Egg. — A green fruit of an 

 elliptical form, in general 8 inches long, and 2| 

 inches in diameter; skin mottled with dark sea- 

 green upon a pale groimd, sometimes netted, at 

 others not. The closeness of the reticulations 

 in a great measure distinguishes this from the 

 Darce. Flesh nearly 2 inches thick, bright 

 green, melting, very sweet, and high flavoured; 

 bears abundantly, but is rather tender. An 

 excellent sort for a melon-house of the descrip- 

 tion already noticed ; 4 to 6 lb. 



Cassabar. — This is also one of the tender 

 Persian varieties, which requires a brighter sun 

 than we often have in England, much less in 

 gloomy Scotland, in which latter country it 

 seldom does well; 4 to 6 lb. 



Melon of Keiseng. — A very beautiful egg- 

 shaped fruit, 8 inches long and 6 inches in 

 diameter; skin pale-lemon colour, regularly 

 netted all over, with a few cracks lengthways ; 

 flesh about 2 inches thick, nearly white, abound- 

 ing in a cool, delicate, and highly flavoured 

 juice; 4 to 5 lb. 



Green Hoosainee. — Fruit egg-shaped, in gene- 

 ral 5 inches long, and 4 inches in diameter; skin, 

 when matured, light green, with regularly netted 

 surface, yellowish on the side most exposed to 

 the sun; flesh pale greenish white, full of a plea- 

 sant sweet juice; skin thin; seeds unusually 

 large. One of the hardiest of the Persian 

 melons, except the next, and withal a free and 

 abundant beai'er. Of this there are several 

 varieties, but all of superior merit; 3 to 4 lb. 



Large OermeJc. — Alarge,handsome, ribbed fruit, 

 from 7 to 9 inches in length, and usually 6 inches 

 in diameter, having the distinguishing mark of a 

 corona or circular scar from 1 to 2 inches in 

 diameter at the apex; skin sea-green, closely 

 netted; flesh from IJ to 2 inches thick, clear 

 green, firm, juicy, and high flavoured; an abun- 

 dant bearer, larger than the majority of melons 

 of its class, ripening early, and soon arriving at 

 a bearing state, generally producing a second 

 crop spontaneously; 6 lb. 



Darce. — Fruit about 9 inches long and 6 

 inches in diameter; skin mottled with dark sea- 

 green upon a pale ground, coarsely netted, al- 

 though sometimes nearly smooth; flesh white, 

 thick, crisp, and melting, very sweet when fully 

 matured; 4 to 5 lb. 



This class of melons deserves peculiar atten- 

 tion, and although requiring a high temperature, 

 win fully repay the connoisseur, as of all others, 

 including the hybrids produced from them, the 

 highest flavoured of all the family. 



Of Water melons there are several varieties; 

 the following are the best : — 



Imperial. — Fruit of medium size, nearly glob- 

 ular; skin pale green and white, remarkably 

 thin; flesh solid to the centre, reddish, crisp, 

 and high flavoured; a native of the Mediter- 

 ranean coast; seeds light brown and very small. 



Carolina. — Fruit oblong, very large; skin 

 dark green, and marbled with white, thick; flesh 

 deep red, and sweet, although often hollow at 

 the centre; flavour good; seed large, and black. 



Spanish. — Fruit oblong, large; skin dark green, 

 slightly marbled, moderately thick; flesh red, 

 rich, and very sweet; one of the best hardy 

 Water melons. 



Insects and diseases. — The principal diseases 

 of the melon are gum and canker, usually 

 brought on by accidental bruises on the stems, 

 and sometimes by over-watering near the centre 

 of the plant, and also by an insufficiency of heab 

 Quicklime or charcoal, in a fine, dry, powdery 

 state, applied to the parts, and r^ated as either 

 becomes damp, is the best remedy; and this will 

 be considerably aided if the part of the shoot 

 afieoted be kept clear of the damp ground. 

 Additional heat and less water should also be 

 attended to. This disease is much more preva- 

 lent in plants grown on dung-beds than in such 

 as are trained to trellises in airy well-ventilated 

 structures. The insects which infest the melon 

 are chiefly the red-spider, aphides, and thrips, and 

 the same remedies should be applied as recom- 

 mended for forced French or kidney beans, 

 vide p. 76. 



TIte European names are — Melon, French — 

 Melona, German — Melean, Dutch — Melone, Ita- 

 lian — and Melon, Spanish. 



