MUSKMELONS 



71 



desirable. It is the largest melon of all but its exceed- 

 ingly poor eating and keeping qualities restrict its use 

 under New York conditions. 



Plant very vigorous; vines coarse and heavy; branches very 

 many. 



Fruit very large, 8-9 x 9-10 inches; weight 12-15 pounds. 

 Shape oblate to nearly globular, base usually depressed, apex even; 

 blossom scar large and conspicuous; ribs very prominent, 3 inches 

 broad at the medial; furrows narrow, deep and smooth. Netting 

 very sparse, usually streaked, somewhat circular at the base; cork 

 very light, unevenly distributed over the ribs and the base; interstices 

 very shallow. Skin color pale grayish green, turning to pale buff 

 yellow at full maturity. Flesh pale orange; thick, l :i 4-2 inches; 

 texture medium fine, rather granular and mealy, soft and juicy; 

 moderately sweet, poorly flavored and very slightly aromatic, 

 quality fair to poor. Cavity very large, 4x4 inches, circular in 

 cross-section. Rind medium thick, :! s inch, soft and weak. 



Gold Coin. Refs. 58, 109. Syn. Bowman's Gold Coin. 



Wm. Henry Maule of Philadelphia offered his 

 customers seed of this new melon in 1900. It was called 

 to Mr. Maule's attention through the interest of T. 

 Greiner of La Salle, New York, editor of the Practical 

 Farmer. A subscriber, Mr. Bowman, had discovered 

 the melon 2 years earlier on his farm in Niagara County. 

 It was supposed to have come from a cross between 

 Emerald Gem and Acme. Early descriptions indicate 

 that the stock was somewhat mixed but that the better 

 melons were somewhat like Paul Rose. 



It is a moderately early variety, 4-6 days earlier 

 than Paul Rose, in season with Delicious and 8-10 days 

 later than Early Bird. It is much like Paul Rose in 

 shape, although fruits are slightly larger, more promi- 

 nently ribbed and more coarsely interlaced than that 

 variety. 



Fruit medium large, 6' 2-7 X 5 '2-6 inches; weight 3 ] i-4 

 pounds. Shape oval, base slightly enlarged, apex full; blossom scar 

 obscure; ribs prominent, l 3 ^ inches broad at the medial; furrows 

 broad, medium deep and smooth. Netting moderately abundant, 

 medium finely interlaced; cork heavy, distributed rather evenly 

 over the ribs, often rather streaked at the ends; interstices moder- 

 ately deep. Skin color orange brown mottled with green. Flesh 

 orange, moderately thin, l's-l'-^ inches, texture medium coarse 

 and fibrous, soft and juicy; sweet, rather highly flavored and mildly 

 aromatic; quality moderately good. Cavity large, 4J^ x 3 inches, 

 circular in cross-section. Rind medium thick, Jg-Ji inch, medium 

 strong and moderately tough. 



Golden Champlain. Refs. 27, 36, 37, 54, 58, 78, 79, 

 109, 121, 123. Syns. Champlain, Discovery, 

 Earliana, Earliest, Golden Lake Champlain, 

 Skagit Golden. 

 The development of Golden Champlain somewhat 

 parallels that of Rocky Ford, Bender and Hale's Best. 

 This variety as offered today is very similar to that of 

 the original introduction in 1923; but the present stock 

 represents certain progressive changes. " H. J. Walrath, 

 the originator of Lake Champlain, continued his improve- 

 ment work and in 1920 took pollen from Gold Nugget, 

 previously known as Admiral Togo, and placed it on 

 blossoms of Lake Champlain plants." Three years later 

 seed was listed under the variety name Golden Cham- 

 plain, as an improved Lake Champlain with deeper 

 golden flesh. 



This is an early variety which matured at Geneva 

 a week or ten days earlier than Bender's Surprise, about 

 in season with Fordhook and about a week later than 

 Early Bird. The fruits most resemble those of Ford- 

 hook, being larger, more globular in shape, and less 

 coarsely netted. In form they are decidedly more 

 globular than Early Bird, more prominently ribbed and 

 more deeply furrowed. 



Plant medium in vigor; vines slender, branches medium 

 number. 



Fruit moderately small, 5-6 x 5-6 inches; weight 3-4 pounds. 

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

 scar usually not conspicuous; ribs slightly prominent, 1}^ inches 

 broad at the medial; furrows narrow, moderately shallow and 

 smooth. Netting moderately abundant, rather finely interlaced; 

 cork moderately heavy, somewhat irregularly distributed over the 

 ribs and the ends; interstices medium deep. Skin color yellowish 

 brown, profusely mottled with green. Flesh pale orange, medium 

 thick, 1 J 4 — 1 ' 2 inches; texture medium fine, slightly fibrous, moder- 

 ately soft and juicy; sweet and medium flavor; quality moderately 

 good. Cavity moderately small, 3 x 2 l ■> inches, circular in cross- 



section. Rind moderately thick, 

 rather weak. 



4 inch, moderately firm but 



Golden Combination. Refs. 37, 121. Syn. Aristocrat. 



The name of this new variety was chosen by the 

 originator, J. W. Conrad of Rockbridge, Ohio, because 

 of its origin as a cross between two other golden-fleshed 

 varieties. Mr. Conrad in a letter stated that he had 

 a number of varieties in a trial and that possibly Tip 

 Top and Banquet were the parents. Nature made 

 the cross and Mr. Conrad selected large fruits with 

 thick orange meat, until locally the strain was known as 

 " that thick meated melon." Stark Bros., Louisiana, 

 Missouri, introduced it in 1927. Seed was offered in 1935 

 by C. J. Lindholm and in 1934 by Joseph Harris Com- 

 pany of Coldwater, New York, who had been making 

 selections over a number of years to develop a more uni- 

 form stock. It is one of the most promising of the 

 newer varieties. 



This is a moderately late variety, maturing at 

 Geneva 4 or 5 days later than Bender's Surprise, in 

 season with Hale's Best and about 4 or 5 days earlier 

 than Montreal Market. The fruits are fully as large as 

 Bender's Surprise, but are more globular, distinctly less 

 deeply furrowed and have a thinner grayish green skin as 

 contrasted with the pale creamy yellow skin of the 

 Bender. The flesh is thicker and equally as good, if not 

 better in texture and flavor. 



Plant vigorous; vines moderately heavy; branches moderately 

 many. 



Fruit large, 7 '9-8 x 7-8 inches; weight 6-7 pounds. Shape 

 globular to short oval; base and apex rounded to slightly flattened, 

 blossom scar conspicuous; ribs moderately prominent, 2-2 J 2 inches 

 broad at the medial; furrows medium broad, moderately shallow 

 and netted. Netting abundant, very coarsely interlaced, often 

 circular in pattern at the base and apex; cork broad and heavy, 

 usually creased, distributed uniformly over the entire fruit; interstices 

 moderately deep. Skin color distinctly grayish green, sparsely 

 mottled with pale yellow very late in maturity. Flesh orange, very 

 thick, 2 2' t inches; texture moderately fine, slightly fibrous, soft 

 and very juicy; sweet, rather highly flavo-ed with pleasant aroma; 

 quality very good. Cavity moderately large, 3 1 2 x 3 inches, 

 circular in cross-section. Rind thin, J 5-fV inch, rather weak and 

 tender. 



