MUSKMELONS 



75 



form of hort streaks: cork light, unevenly distributed over the 

 ribs; interstices shallow. Skin color dark green changing to burnt 

 orange at full maturity. Flesh pale orange, moderately thick, 

 1 l _■ 1 : , inches; texture fine, fiberless, soft and juicy; sweet, rather 

 highly flavored and pleasantly aromatic; quality good. Cavity 

 large, 5x3'.' inches, circular in cross-section. Rind medium thick, 

 1 ., inch, weak and rather soft. 



Honey. Ref. 30. Syn. New Honey. 



This melon belongs in the Hackensack group and 

 was named in 1904 by Wm. Henry Maule as the result 

 of a competitive contest. The original seed came 

 from Georgia and the variety attracted new friends 

 because of the name. 



It is a moderately early variety, maturing about 

 3-4 days earlier than Acme, in season with Anne Arundel 

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

 fruits are most like those of the latter variety, being 

 more globular in shape and having a much less prominent 

 blossom scar and more finely interlaced netting. 



Fruit moderately small, 5-5 ' _> x 5-5 '_> inches; weight 2 3 4-3 

 pounds. Shape globular, slightly flattened at the ends; blossom 

 scar obscure; ribs rather obscure, 1 } j-l :! 4 inches broad at the medial; 

 furrows narrow, shallow and smooth. Netting moderately abun- 

 dant, often rather finely interlaced; cork moderately heavy, dis- 

 tributed uniformly over the ribs: interstices medium deep. Skin 

 color dull yellowish brown sparsely mottled with gTeen. Flesh 

 light green, moderately thin, 1-1 ' 4 inches; texture fine, slightly 

 fibrous, moderately soft and juicy; rather insipid, poorly flavored and 

 undesirable aroma; quality poor. Cavity medium large, 3x3 

 inches, circular in cross-section. Rind moderately thick, }i inch, 

 moderately strong and medium tough. 



Honey Ball. Refs. 15, 28, 35, 44, 45, 48, 54, 60, 80, 91, 

 95, 105, 108, 109, 133, 139. Syns. Golden Per- 

 fection, Texas Honey Ball. 



According to a letter published in the Market 

 Growers Journal (186) Honeyball is in reality the old 

 variety described by Robinson and by Vilmorin as Golden 

 Perfection. 



As Honey Ball, the variety was introduced in 1925 

 by several seedsmen including Robert Nicholson Seed 

 Co., Dallas, Texas, H. G. Hastings Co., Atlanta, Georgia, 

 Grand Junction Seed Co., Grand Junction, Colorado, 

 and Aggeler & Musser, Los Angeles, California. In all 

 of the early accounts cf the variety, it was said to have 

 originated as the result of a cross between Honey Dew 

 and Texas Cannonball made by W. H. Parker of Arling- 

 ton, Texas. Mr. Parker in 1917 planted these two varie- 

 ties and whether a natural cross occurred or a few seed 

 of Golden Perfection had been mixed with the Honey 

 Dew is not known. To Mr. Parker is given the credit 

 for developing the variety. 



This is about the latest melon which can be matured 

 in New York State, being 10 days or 2 weeks later than 

 Montreal Market and about a week later than Weaver 

 Special. It is most like Honey Dew in type, being 

 smaller, more uniformly globular, more netted and has 

 flesh which is thinner and paler green in color. 



Plant vigorous; vines very coarse and heavy; branches moder- 

 ately many; leaves rather yellowish green, usually crumpled and 

 have the terminal lobe much more prominent than the other four. 



Fruit moderately small, 5-5'_. x 5-5 '2 inches; weight 2-2 ' ■> 

 occasionally 3 pounds. Shape globular, symmetrical, base and apex 



rounded; blossom scar obscure; ribs and furrows absent. Surface 

 very pubescent until very nearly mature. Netting very sparse, 

 coarsely streaked and interlaced; cork very light, distributed 

 unevenly over the surface. Skin color pale yellowish green, pro- 

 fusely stippled pale creamy green, turning to yellowish white at 

 full maturity. Flesh pale green, medium thick, lj-i-l'j inches; 

 texture fine, firm and moderately juicy; sweet, honey-like flavor 

 and mildly aromatic; quality good. Cavity small, 2 ' •_> x 2 ' _> inches, 

 circular in cross-section. Rind thin, ' s inch, very firm, strong and 

 tough. 



Hone) Dew. Refs. 15, 54, 64, 76, 80, 95, 105, 109, 

 110, 129, 139, 143. Syn. White Antibes Winter. 



Honey Dew is an American name for the French 

 variety, White Antibes. The well-known French seeds- 

 men Vilmorin Andrieux & Co. have listed the variety 

 for perhaps fifty years. L. H. Bailey at Cornell Uni- 

 versity grew it in trials about 30 years ago but it proved 

 unsuited for growth under eastern conditions. 



In 1911 seed from an imported melon served in a 

 hotel in New York was saved and sent to John Gauger of 

 Swink, Colorado. This seed was planted alongside 

 Netted Gem and Casaba and Mr. Gauger thought the 

 varieties had hybridized. Dr. D. N. Shoemaker of the 

 Bureau of Plant Industry of the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture believed that no hybridization had 

 taken place and that the new melon was in reality the 

 White Antibes grown for years in the south of France and 

 in Algeria for foreign shipment. In 1915 Mr. Gauger 

 named his melon Honey Dew and since then the 

 variety has taken the lead in the winter melon group. 

 D. V. Burrell was one of the first seedsmen to catalog 

 the variety. 



The New York State season is usually too short for 

 this variety. It is most like Honey Ball in type, being 

 considerably larger, less netted and often having a 

 brighter yellow skin color and deeper green flesh. 



Plant vigorous; vines coarse and heavy; branches moderately 

 many; leaves large, often 6 ] 2 inches long and nearly as broad; 

 surface blistered; color moderately bright, rather yellowish green. 



Fruit large, 7-8 x 6 1 £—7 ) 2 inches; weight 5-7 pounds. Shape 

 nearly globular, often slightly oval; base and apex rounded; blossom 

 scar obscure; ribs and furrows absent. Surface smooth with an 

 occasional streak of cork-like net evident. Skin color pale yellowish 

 green, later becoming creamy yellow to rather bright yellow at full 

 maturity. Flesh light emerald green, thick, l :! 4-2 inches; texture 

 fine, crisp, firm and juicy; very sweet, honey-like flavor and mildly 

 aromatic; quality very good. Cavity medium large, 3J2 x 3 inches, 

 circular in cross-section. Rind very thin, tj-J's inch, firm and 

 tough. 



Honey Rock. Refs. 36, 37, 54, 65, 68, 78, 121. Syns. 



New Sugar Rock, Sugar Rock, Superba, White 



Seeded Delicious. 



Previous to 1920 F. W. Richardson, owner of 



" Wartenbee Farm " near Hicksville, Ohio, had been 



improving his strain of Irondequoit melons. A field 



of this improved stock was planted adjacent to a field 



of Honey Dew and selections were made from this 



field of Irondequoit and planted the next year on the 



same farm. In this planting there were many hills 



that produced melons that looked like Honey Dews but 



that had the flesh characteristics of Irondequoit. The 



best fruits of this apparent cross were selected and seed 



