MUSKMELONS 



69 



Emerald Gem. Refs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 13, 15, 22, 23, 25, 26, 



27, 29, 33, 37, 38, 39, 41, 48, 49, 50, 51, 54, 58, 



62, 69, 70, 75, 79, 83, 84, 88, 89, 91, 95, 96, 97, 98, 



99, 100, 101, 102, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 121, 



123, 124, 125, 127, 129, 133, 136, 140, 141, 142, 



143. 144. Syns. Early Emerald Gem, Emerald 



Green, Giant Wonder Gem, Improved Emerald 



Gem, Mary Daisy. 



The Emerald Gem melon was a chance seedling 



obtained by Win. G. Voorhees of Benzie County, 



Michigan, who sent seed to W. Atlee Burpee. Named 



and introduced by this company in 1886, it soon became 



the most popular melon of that period. Melons indeed 



seemed to call forth words of praise unsuited to any 



other vegetable and the quality cf this melon soon was 



admitted to be " unequalled in rich, delicious flavor " 



or " altogether unapproached in delicious flavor and 



luscious beyond description." Today Emerald Gem is 



known as one of the best second early varieties for home 



garden planting. 



This is a moderately early variety, maturing at 

 Geneva 6-7 days earlier than Bender's Surprise, in 

 season with Delicious and Extra Early Hackensack, and 

 about a week later than Golden Champlain. The 

 fruits are less globular than Golden Champlain, distinctly 

 less ribbed and very much less netted. It is much 

 like Daisy in the immature stage, being less globular 

 and as maturity is approached assumes a decidedly more 

 brownish green appearance. 



Plant moderately weak; vines slender; branches medium in 

 number. 



Fruit small, 4 — I 1 2 x 5-5 ' 2 inches; weight 2J L > _ 3 pounds. 

 Shape nearly globular, slightly flattened at base and apex, blossom 

 scar cork-like, rather conspicuous; ribs moderately prominent, 

 1 '4-1 ' 2 inches broad at the medial; furrows narrow, medium deep 

 and smooth. Netting very sparse, usually irregularly streaked, 

 often patchy, moderately fine interlaced; cork very light, distributed 

 unevenly over the ribs, base and apex; interstices very shallow. 

 Skin color green, profusely mottled with brownish orange at full 

 maturity. Flesh pale orange, medium thick, 1-1 } ■>' inches; texture 

 fine, soft and juicy; sweet, somewhat spicy, mild aroma; quality 

 good. Cavity small, 2 • 2 x 2 inches, circular in cross-section. Rind 

 medium thick, } s inch, rather weak and tender. 



Enid. 



The Gurney Seed Co., Yankton, South Dakota, in 

 1908 introduced the Enid muskmelon. The name came 

 from the town of Enid, Oklahoma, where the new variety 

 originated. It was described as " one-half larger than 

 Rocky Ford, one week earlier and twice as good." 



Extra Early Grand Rapids. Refs. 53, 97, 98, 99, 100, 

 101, 105, 114, 133, 140. Syns. Early Grand 

 Rapids, Early Grand Rapids Market, Extra Early 

 Grand Rapids Market, Grand Rapids, Grand 

 Rapids Market, New Grand Rapids. 

 Introduced in 1895 by Wm. Henry Maule, Phila- 

 delphia, Grand Rapids was favorably received because of 

 its earliness. The original seed came from market 

 gardeners near Grand Rapids. Michigan. There were 

 two types of the Grand Rapids, the majority of the 

 fruits were oblong but nearly one-fourth of the fruits 

 were nearly round. In later years the longer type has 



prevailed but because of lack of quality the variety has 

 gradually been replaced by better sorts. 



This was a moderately early variety which matured 

 about 5-6 days earlier than Bender's Surprise, in season 

 with Delicious and 6-8 days later than Golden Cham- 

 plain. It resembled Burrell's Gem in shape, but was 

 somewhat more oval at the ends, less profusely and 

 uniformly netted, and had a skin much lighter in color. 



Fruit moderately small, 6 :t i-7 x 4 3 .|— 5 inches; weight 2)2-3 

 pounds. Shape oblong, moderately tapering at both ends; blossom 

 scar conspicuous, corky; ribs moderately prominent, l'l-l,^ inches 

 broad at the medial; furrows broad, medium deep and smooth. 

 Netting moderately abundant, medium finely interlaced, often 

 streaked; cork rather light, distributed rather evenly over the ribs, 

 base and apex; interstices moderately shallow. Skin color creamy 

 yellow, sparsely mottled with bronze green. Flesh orange, moder- 

 ately thin, 1-1 'i inches; texture coarse and fibrous, medium soft 

 and juicy: sweet, rather mildly flavored and mildly aromatic; quality 

 fair to moderately good. Cavity moderately large, 4 ' j x 2 ' j inches, 

 circular in cross-section. Rind moderately thin, ) g inch, medium 

 soft and slightly tough. 



Extra Early Hackensack. Refs. 4, 15, 22, 29, 53, 58, 



62, 64, 79, 83, 88, 91, 92, 96, 98, 99, 100, 101, 105, 

 108, 109, 125, 133, 136, 140, 141, 143, 144, 146. 

 Syns. Early Hackensack, Early Jersey Hacken- 

 sack, Extra Early Improved Hackensack, Im- 

 proved Early Hackensack, Large Early Hacken- 

 sack, New Early Hackensack. 

 A few years after the Hackensack melon was gen- 

 erally distributed throughout the country, Peter Hender- 

 son & Co. offered a new strain which was a week to 

 ten days earlier than the parent. The first selection was 

 made about 1884 by a grower in the Hackensack, New 

 Jersey, garden district. Henderson placed the seed in 

 trial and after four years proved its earliness. It has 

 become the standard green-fleshed early melon for home 

 gardeners and truckers in that area. 



It is a moderately early variety maturing about 6-8 

 days earlier than Hackensack, in season with Netted 

 Gem and 6-8 days later than Early Green Nutmeg. 

 The fruits are much like those of Hackensack but are 

 smaller, more uniformly ribbed and have a trifle finer 

 interlaced netting. The interior is the same in all 

 respects, although Extra Early Hackensack is believed 

 to have somewhat better quality. 



Extra Early Hanover. Ref. 133. 



Extra Early Hanover was introduced in 1895 by 

 T. W. Woods 8b Sons of Richmond, Virginia. The 

 variety originated in the vicinity of Richmond and its 

 listing as an early sort has continued to the present. 

 It is reported to have attained " immense popularity " 

 and in the region of its origin, is noted for the sweet 

 and sugary flavor of the flesh which can be eaten to the 

 very thin skin. 



It is one of the very earliest melons grown at Geneva, 

 coming in season with Early Bird and Citron, and about 

 a week earlier than Fordhook and Jenny Lind. In 

 shape it most resembles Citron, although it is much less 

 uniform, more inclined to be lopsided and more evenly 

 netted than that variety. It is distinctly more oblate 



