MUSKMELONS 



67 



interlaced, often streaked in parts: cork moderately light, dis- 

 tributed rather uniformly over the ribs, base and apex; interstices 

 moderately shallow. Skin color deep yellow to orange brown, 

 mottled sparsely with green. Flesh light green, medium thick, 

 1 ' , 1 ' j inches; texture rather coarse and fibrous, soft and juicy; 

 sweet, rather mildly flavored and faintly aromatic; quality fair. 

 Cavity medium large, 4 x 2 ' ; inches, circular in cross-section. 

 Rind medium thick, J s inch, rather soft and medium strong. 



Columbus. Refs. 10, 22, 29, 39, 53, 96, 98, 99, 100, 

 107, 133. Syns. Beck's Columbus, Christopher 

 Columbus, Columbia. Columbus Green, Columbus 

 Queen. 



In 1892 A. W. Livingston's Sons, Columbus, Ohio, 

 offered this new melon in their novelty list. The seed 

 had been secured from a Mr. Antone Beck of Oregon, 

 Illinois, who had grown this as his private stock for 

 many years. The same year D. Landreth 8s Sons, 

 Philadelphia, introduced a melon which they called 

 Columbus as " an acclimated foreign melon." The 

 descriptions of the two seemed somewhat similar, both 

 being oval in shape, silvery green in skin color which 

 later changes to golden, heavily netted and green fleshed. 



The Aggeler & Musser Seed Co. of Los Angeles, 

 California, offered in 1915 Yellow Fleshed Columbus 

 which became quite popular. Later this was said to 

 have come from a cross of Columbus and Tip Top. 

 Reports indicate that the variety was much like the 

 above except in color of flesh and in having superior 

 texture. 



Columbus was a late variety about in season with 

 Texas Cannon Ball and 4-6 days later than Nixon. 

 It was much like Texas Cannon Ball in shape and netting 

 and differed from that variety in having a much more 

 creamy yellow skin color. The interiors were much the 

 same. 



Fruit moderately small, 5'j-6 x 5'_>-6 inches; weight A—4}4 

 pounds. Shape nearly globular, somewhat flattened at base and 

 apex; blossom scar obscure; ribs and furrows obscure to absent. 

 Netting moderately abundant, not interlaced very much, usually 

 short streaked and in star-like formations, rather obscure because 

 of skin color similarity; cork light, rather unevenly distributed 

 over the surface. Skin color creamy buff. Flesh green, moderately 

 thin, 1-lli inches; texture rather coarse and fibrous, firm, medium 

 juicy; moderately sweet, highly flavored and mildly aromatic; 

 quality fair to moderately good. Cavity small, 2J4 x lYl inches, 

 circular in cross-section. Rind thick, J 4 inch, tough and strong. 



Cosmopolitan. Refs. 29, 53, 54, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 

 101, 105, 128, 133, 136, 140. Syns. Cannon Ball, 

 " Silver Netted," Texas Cannon Ball. 

 D. M. Ferry & Co., Detroit, Michigan, introduced in 

 1894 a variety which they called Cosmopolitan. The 

 new variety was selected at the Ferry Oakview trial 

 grounds from Shumway's Silver Netted Cantaloupe. 

 This variety, Silver Netted, had been listed for several 

 years by R. H. Shumway of Rcckford, Illinois, and was 

 said to have come from a cross between an American 

 muskmelon and a French cantaloupe. Ferry chose the 

 name because the new selection had been originally 

 derived from cosmopolitan parentage. W. Atlee Burpee 

 listed Cosmopolitan in 1896, and in 1897 offered a new 

 strain called Cannon Ball. In 1897 L. Templin of Calla, 



Ohio, introduced Texas Cannon Ball as a novelty from 

 Texas. This latter name is the name by which the 

 type is generally known today. 



Cosmopolitan is a late variety which matured at 

 Geneva in season with Montreal Market and Giant and 

 4 or 5 days later than Nixon and Pollock 10-25. It is 

 very similar to Texas Cannon Ball and Silver Netted, 

 two varieties which were originally individual but in 

 late years have been more or less indiscriminately mixed. 

 The fruits are shaped much the same as those of Nixon, 

 and differ from that variety in being more nearly globular, 

 slightly larger, with the netting less abundant and inter- 

 laced and more inclined to be circular in pattern at the 

 ends. The flesh is slightly more firm and lacks the 

 orange tint about the cavity present in Nixon. 



Plant vigorous; vines heavy and coarse; branches many. 



Fruit medium large, 6— 6 1 i x 6-6'j inches; weight 3 ' j— 4 

 pounds. Shape perfectly globular, base and apex very slightly 

 flattened; blossom scar usually obscure; ribs and furrows absent. 

 Netting rather sparse, short streaked and checked in star-like 

 pattern, often circular at the ends; cork medium light, unevenly 

 distributed over the surface; interstices moderately shallow. Skin 

 color dark green, assuming bronze green at full maturity. Flesh 

 light green; moderately thick, 1} z~l% inches; texture medium coarse 

 and fibrous, firm and rather juicy; sweet, rather mildly flavored and 

 mildly aromatic; quality fair. Cavity medium large, 3x3 inches, 

 circular in cross-section. Rind thick, J 4 inch, moderately strong 

 and tough. 



Daisy. Refs. 54, 121. 



This melon which was introduced in 1913 by Henry 

 Field Seed Co., Shenandoah, Iowa, was probably a 

 selection out of Emerald Gem for a larger and more 

 globular fruit. The originator, Alfred Apfel, a market 

 gardener in the northern part of Iowa, had found that 

 it was apparently blight proof and grew well under 

 drought conditions. D. M. Ferry & Co. from 1926 to 

 1933 offered Daisy as a melon whose quality " is the 

 standard of excellence in muskmelons." 



This is a moderately early to midseason sort about 

 3 or 4 days earlier than Bender's Surprise, in season with 

 Sugar Rock and about a week later than Emerald Gem. 

 In form and skin color it most resembles Emerald Gem. 

 It differs from that variety in being more globular, less 

 furrowed, less netted, and in retaining the green skin 

 color much later, even past the full slip stage of maturity. 

 The flesh is decidedly thicker in proportion to its size 

 than in other varieties and is surpassed by few if any in 

 all round quality. 



Plant vigorous grower; vines moderately slender; branches 

 medium in number; leaves distinctly crumpled. 



Fruit moderately small, 5*2-6 x 5-5 ' _. inches; weight 2 1 -j-3 1 2 

 pounds. Shape nearly globular; base and apex rounded and full, 

 blossom scar rather conspicuous; ribs obscure, 1 ' _> inches broad at the 

 medial; furrows narrow, very shallow and smooth. Netting rather 

 sparse, moderately fine interlaced; cork light, unevenly distributed 

 over the ribs; interstices very shallow. Skin color dark and rather 

 glossy green, very sparsely mottled with pale yellowish brown 

 when fully mature. Flesh deep orange to salmon orange, moder- 

 ately thick, 1 ] •_'- 1 3 4 inches; texture moderately fine, firm, moder- 

 ately juicy; rather sweet, highly flavored, mild aroma, quality very 

 good. Cavity very small, 2\i x 1 3 4 inches, distinctly triangular 

 in cross-section. Rind thin, ys inch, moderately strong and medium 

 tough. 



