MUSKMELONS 



65 



not been found suitable except in parts of California 

 and the Southwest. 



Casaba was known to eastern growers about 1850 

 when the Patent Office distributed seed under this name. 

 This melon was from Persia but records show that in 

 type it was similar to Bay View. It was also known as 

 Odessa or Persian. A similar sort was popularized by 

 General Bidwell of Chico, California, as the Bidwell 

 Casaba. The Green Persian, which seems to have been 

 very similar if not identical with the latter, was offered 

 by Ross of Boston in 1827. 



According to L. H. Bailey (14), seed of Casaba 

 melons was sent from Smyrna to California in 1878 by 

 Dr. J. D. B. Stillman and James L. Flood who found 

 the melons in the hotels of that city. Mr. G. P. Rixford, 

 then connected with the Evening Bulletin, was instru- 

 mental in distributing seed to rural subscribers. How- 

 ever, this type of melon did not become popular until 

 some forty years later. 



The commercial Casaba melon industry began about 

 1909 when the San Joaquin Valley Melon Growers 

 Association shipped several carloads of Golden Beauty 

 Casaba to Portland, Oregon. Since then the business 

 has grown and this type of melon is now well known in 

 all markets of the country. Aggeler & Musser of Los 

 Angeles have done much to promote the popularity of 

 these melons and in 1909 listed nine varieties. They 

 have also introduced some hybrids between the Casaba 

 and cantaloupe melon. 



Several varieties of this type are grown in the South- 

 west at the present time, chief of which is Golden Beauty. 

 The fruits are large, oblate oval or short pyriform in 

 shape, lemon -yellow in skin color, tough skinned, net 

 netted or ribbed, but profusely marked with longitudinal 

 corrugations or deep wrinkles. The flesh is very thick, 

 nearly white in color, juicy, without aroma, sweet and 

 of good quality when properly ripened. 



Santa Claus is of secondary importance, much longer 

 than thick, nearly cylindrical, somewhat tapered at the 

 ends, smooth skinned and colored with blotches of black 

 and yellow. The interior is much like Golden Beauty. 



Winter Pineapple and Golden Hybrid are minor 

 sorts belonging to this group. The former was sup- 

 posedly the first of the Casabas to be introduced to 

 America. It is practically identical with Golden Beauty 

 except in color, that of Winter Pineapple being light 

 green when fully mature. 



Champion Market. Refs. 22, 23, 29, 35, 38, 39, 47, 



53, 69, 88, 91, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 105, 



106, 107, 127, 133, 136, 140, 144. Syns. Bridgton 



Favorite, Starn's Favorite. 



This melon was introduced in 1887 by W. Atlee 



Burpee & Co., James J. H. Gregory, A. W. Livingston 



Sons, Vaughan Seed Co., and possibly others. The same 



year Wm. Henry Maule introduced the melon under the 



name Starn's Favorite. E. N. Starn of Fairton, New 



Jersey, a well known melon grower, had worked with the 



seed stock for about ten years before it was purchased by 



the seed trade. For many years it was widely grown for 



the New York trade, and was justly popular because of 

 its size and quality. 



Champion Market is a late variety which matured at 

 Geneva a few days earlier than Montreal Market, in 

 season with Chicago Market and about a week or 10 

 days later than Bender's Surprise. The fruits are similar 

 to those of Montreal Market, being less symmetrical, 

 smaller and less uniformly netted. The fruits are also 

 more globular than those of Chicago Market, somewhat 

 less deeply furrowed, and more yellowish green in flesh 

 color. 



Plant vigorous, vines medium heavy and coarse; branches 

 many. 



Fruit medium large, 6— 6 ] 2 x 53-2—6 inches; weight 4— 4j^ 

 pounds. Shape nearly globular, often somewhat lop-sided; base 

 full to somewhat flattened; apex even and slightly flattened, blossom 

 scar conspicuous; ribs prominent, 13 2-2 inches broad at the medial, 

 not very uniform; furrows medium broad and deep, smooth. Netting 

 moderately abundant, rather coarsely interlaced; cork moderately 

 heavy, distributed uniformly over the ribs, base and apex; inter- 

 stices moderately deep. Skin color green, sparsely mottled with 

 pale yellow. Flesh light green to greenish yellow near the cavity, 

 moderately thin, 1-1 1 1 inches, thinner at the apex; texture coarse 

 and fibrous, moderately firm and juicy; sweet, somewhat sprightly, 

 rather highly flavored, mild aroma; quality fair. Cavity large, 

 4 x 3}{ inches, circular in cross-section. Rind thick, J 4 inch, 

 thinner at the apex, rather soft, medium tough. 



Chicago Market. Refs. 4, 23, 29, 40, 44, 46, 49, 53, 



91, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 105, 109, 125, 127, 

 133, 144. Syns. Chicago, Chicago Market Nut- 

 meg, Chicago Nutmeg, Giant Chicago, Giant 

 Chicago Market, Improved Large Green Nutmeg. 

 This melon, a probable selection from Montreal 

 Market, was developed by A. Calvin, a gardener near 

 Chicago. The exact date of its introduction is not 

 known, but since it was offered by Gregory in 1882 it 

 was possibly listed by Vaughan and other Chicago 

 seedsmen about that time. The variety never became 

 popular as a shipping melon as the fruits were somewhat 

 flattened at the ends, but was a desirable sort for the 

 home garden. 



This is a late variety maturing at Geneva a few 

 days earlier than Montreal Market, in season with 

 Champion Market and about a week or 10 days later 

 than Bender's Surprise. It is much like Montreal 

 Market in type, differing from that variety in being 

 smaller, less uniformly netted and usually less symmetri- 

 cal. It is similar to Champion Market in many respects 

 but is more oblate, somewhat more deeply furrowed and 

 with brighter green flesh color. 



Plant moderately vigorous; vines medium coarse and medium 

 slender; branches moderately many. 



Fruit moderately large, 6-6J2 x 7— 7J*2 inches; weight 4};>-5 

 pounds. Shape oblate, flattened at base and apex; blossom scar 

 moderately conspicuous; ribs prominent, 2-2^ inches broad at the 

 medial; furrows broad, moderately deep and smooth. Netting 

 abundant, finely laced; cork moderately heavy, distributed uniformly 

 over the ribs; interstices moderately deep. Skin color green, 

 sparsely mottled with creamy yellow. 



Flesh light green, medium thick, 1 Jj inches; texture moderately 

 coarse and fibrous, rather firm, medium juicy; sweet, rather mildly 

 flavored, mild aroma; quality fair. Cavity moderately large, 

 3 x 3' 2 inches, circular in cross-section. Rind thick, 'j inch, 

 moderately strong and medium tough. 



