:iU'SK MELON 



.MV(>r(iRr:ii 



liir,i 



fvuit is the plat'iiitr of well-rotted manure nt the Imttcmi 

 ot each hill. It is lua'essarj- that this he thuiun^'hly 

 rotted, as the paramount idea is to feed the roots witii 

 moisture and uutriuK-nt which this will supply. The- 

 best plan of preparintc for this niauuring is to diy: ludes 

 a full s]iade deep, then hll up to within i in. ot the sur- 

 face with the manure, then eorer with :i in. of snil. 

 This can he done several days prior to puttiUL: out tlif 

 melons. The ob.ieet of this expensive treatment is to 

 furnish the roots with food anti moisture throu:j:h thi^ 

 heated season and indvu-e a free growth, which will over- 

 come scalding and als.i attacks of enemies. 



The above methods will ajiply to both Musk- and 

 Watermelons. The soil best suited to melon-growing 

 is a sandy loam. When the soil is of a clayey nature 

 and heavy, a free nse of sand is beneticial. Muskmeh'n- 

 forcing is followed successfully on some of the large 

 and fully ei.[uipped private places. For this only a 

 limited number of varieties are used — principally tin- 

 orauge-tieshed siu'ts with prominent netting >'n\ the ex- 

 terior. (.Trowing by this method is trealed under llie 

 head of Forciinj. 



^luskTuelous are a staple article among the i.e).tple i.>f 

 l^ersia, Italy and also the Egyptians. The thin-skinned 

 I'ersian types are yet grown, and noted f<->r bi-ing very 

 sweet ami of tine tlavor, and are better grown on vei-y 

 light soil. The counties in southern New -Tersey ahmg 

 the coast supply the large markets of eastern cities with 

 the famous Cassaba, or Persian, the seeii of this variety 

 having been originally procured from Smyrna; the inland 

 growers adhere to such varieties as the famous Jenn\- 

 hind, Hackensack, Green Citron, Netted and ililler 

 Cream. The varieties introduced in recent years of the 

 i>range-i3eshed sorts are the Emerald tTem. Osage, Tri- 

 umph and Paul Kose. and the green-tleshed Rocky Ford. 

 These are an acquisition, and tind ready sale when pro]->- 

 erly grown, being of medium size and quite solid: they 

 endure transportation well. The famous ^lontreal Mar- 

 ket variety, so much used in Boston, commands a very 

 high price. It is one of the best for transportation and 

 for keeping qualities; of yellowish gold color and fine 

 flavor. It can be found in all eastern Canadian markets. 



Muskmelon-growing is conducted on a large scale in 

 the southern states, hut only for their local markets. 

 The valley of ilie Mississippi is particularly adapteil 

 for this industry. New Jersey supplies one-half of the 

 JIuskraelon cr'ip; the seashore trade is the most extCTi- 

 sice known, and as this market is so accessible to the 

 grower, manv farmers have their entire farms taken up 

 for this purpose. They also have a method, not prac- 

 ticed elsewhere, which is a good one for extending the 

 picking season over a long period. Their first planting 

 is 3'.ix5 feet, and two to four weeks later they plant 

 again between the hills, thus prolonging picking season 

 in the same patch, and giving a full stand of plants in 

 the field with minimum "labor. The varieties grown by 

 the largest planters are the Jenny Lind, Golden Jenny. 

 Netted Gem and Green Citron, and only in very recent 

 years have they added such varieties as the Emerald 

 Gem and Triumph. .T. Otto Thilow". 



MUSTAKD, species of Brassica i which see), chiefly 

 B. iilba. iiitira. ju>u-ia and ,J:i pmih-ii . There are two 

 types of Mustard-growing. — for the leaves, which are 

 used as a vegetable: for the seeds, which yield oil and 

 are used as a condiment. Table Mustard (the flour I is 

 the product mostly of Brus.-iica iiium, although seeds 

 of B. aJba and B'. juiicea are also used for nuiking it. 

 The Mustards often become prolific weeds, but since 

 they are annual, they are easily kept in check by means 

 of good farming (see J^eeds). 



As a eulinarv" vegetable. Mustard is used for "greens " 

 (which see). ' For" this purpose, the large soft basal 

 leaves are desired. These leaves grow best in early 

 sprin'', although thev do fairlv well in the fall. If sown 

 late in the season, the plant makes fewbottom leaves and 

 run quicklv to seed. Perhaps the best of the Mustards 

 for greens' in this country is Bra.^sica JaponicaiFn:. 

 2:<i> Vol I. ) , a species which has long been grown in this 

 cou'ntrv. but which has no other well-known name than 

 'Mlustard " This often seeds itself and comes up the 

 followin" spring. Some of the large-leaved forms of 

 Chinese "Mustard {Brassica juncea) are esicellent. and 



>hiiuld be bi-tter known. Due of thi- oriental species 

 I H. /eipi/'ec//i/.< I make^ an edihh- I urnip-like root | Fi^'. 

 -il::. Vol. 1.). Mustard m-eds a rich tjuick soil for thr 

 |iroducing of the best foliage. Sow the seeds in drills 

 1 ft. or more aicirr, and thin to fi in. in the row. 



I.. 11. D. 

 MUSTARD, CLOWNS. H; riy .n.i.mi. 



MYALL. See Ar„d„ 



MYENIA ..f th.- trad.- 



■ r,f :Vr 



MYOPOEUM (Hreek w.,rds refi-rring to the translu- 

 cent resinous dots in the Ivs.i. M f/optirdri'u . Aliout Ji> 

 species of shrulis, raugitrg from Australia and New Ze;i- 

 land to China and Japan. (.>ne ot theiu was once a fa- 

 vorite he:ith-like plant in Fran<.'e. Two others are quick- 

 growing shrtibs, with a proftision of small, white, ."i- 

 iobed fls., and ornamental berries. These two are ih - 

 sirable f<u" planting near the seacoast in S. Calif. 



In 188;t it was staled in the Garden that for 20 yeai-s 

 many thousand plants of 2/. prtrrifoUinit had been sid'l 

 anmudlv in the Mower markets of Paris. One grower 

 always 'had a stork of :il),{)OII plants. The plants were 

 gri.wn in small pots for room and window decoration in 

 sju-ing. An eye-witness said, "It is most beautiful as 

 seen with its pale green branches drooping gracefully 

 around the pot sides, and more especially so when the 

 shoots are wreathed with sweet, sitow-white blossoms." 

 This species is practically unkn()wn in England and 

 .\merica. Full details of the French method of cultm-e 

 are given in Gn. 2f, p. 409. The American gardener m:iy 

 get some general suggestirms friuu the experience re- 

 corded under Kparris and Erica. 



^lyoporums are <M-ect and tall, ov diffuse, glabrous or 

 ghitinotis : Ivs. alternate, rarely opposite, entire or 

 toothed : Hs. axillary, ustially cltistered, small or medium 

 sized, usually white; calyx .^-cut or .i-parted, somt^what 

 )M-ll-^lia]ied or futmel-shaped. tin- tube verv short or 

 I-.ult; IoIh-s usually .1. The L-mns is divi.h-d into :, ter- 



1449. Myoporum la^tum (X ^sb 



tions based on the shape of the fls.. the number of the 

 corolla-lobes and stamens, which vary from -t-ii. and 

 the number of cells in the ovary, which vary from 2-11. 

 Usuallv the calyx segments are small and narrow, hut 

 in one'sectiem they are large and leafy. 

 A. Lcs. lanceolate. 

 latum, Forst. f. ( -V. perfnrdtum. Hort.). Fig. 14t0. 

 Lvs. 2-4 in. long, lanceolate or obovate-lanceolate, acutr, 

 or obtuse, finely serrate above the middle, bright gieen. 

 shining: fls. white. 4—9 lines wide, with rounded lobes, 

 which are hairy inside. New Zealand. 



