82 



THE VEGETABLES OF NEW YORK 



Jenny, Golden Jersey, Golden Netted, Golden 



Netted Gem, Green Fleshed Genesee, Green 



Netted, Improved Netted Gem, Johnson's Ring 



Leader, Little Gem, Model, New Early Victor, 



New Gem, New Mellobite, Oblong Netted Gem, 



O. K. Netted Gem, Oval Gem, Oval Netted Gem, 



Perfection Gem, Rose Gem, Round Gem, Round 



Netted Gem, Silver Netted Gem, Unequalled Gem. 



Burpee's Netted Gem introduced by W. Atlee 



Burpee in 1881 was the progenitor of the Rocky Ford 



melon. Developed from a chance cross of Nutmeg 



with some variety with larger and more oval fruits, 



Netted Gem became the accepted melon for shipping in 



all the eastern districts. Because of its possibilities as a 



shipping melon and its adaptation to growing conditions 



as found in Colorado, it ranked as the most important 



introduction of its time. From this one melon has come 



a multitude of strains and selections which have gradually 



resolved themselves into the almost perfect shipping 



melons of today. 



The original Netted Gem is no longer listed by 

 American seedsmen. It has been the basis for a great 

 many selections for the development of shipping melons. 

 Netted Gem was a moderately early melon maturing 

 about the same season as Knight and Bottomly and 

 8-10 days earlier than Rocky Ford and Pollock 10— 

 25. In shape it was more oval than Rocky Ford, 

 distinctly more ribbed and much less netted along 

 the furrows, often nearly smooth in this respect. 



Plant moderately vigorous; vines medium slender; branches 

 many. 



Fruit small, 5-5j^ x 4— 4 ! 2 inches; weight lJ^-2 pounds. 

 Shape short oval, symmetrical and rounded at base and apex; 

 blossom scar obscure; ribs moderately prominent, l l ± inches broad 

 at the medial; furrows narrow, shallow and distinctly smooth. 

 Netting abundant, moderately coarse laced; cork moderately heavy 

 and distributed uniformly over the ribs, base and apex; interstices 

 medium deep. Skin color dark green turning dark bronze yellow 

 at full maturity. Flesh light green blending rather abruptly to 

 delicate pink about the cavity; moderately thin, l}s~ l'j inches; 

 texture medium fine, rather fibrous, firm, juicy; sweet, sprightly 

 flavored and mildly aromatic; quality good. Cavity small, 2?± x 2 

 inches, circular in cross-section. Rind medium thick, ' g inch, 

 strong and moderately tough. 



New Orleans Market. Refs. 22, 41, 53, 63, 91, 96, 97, 

 101, 127, 128, 133, 140. Syns. Creole, Creole 

 Prize, New Orleans. 



This is an old variety which is well-known in the 

 South, particularly in the New Orleans market. It is 

 listed and illustrated in the 1930 catalog of Reuter 

 Seed Co., New Orleans. It was cataloged by A. W. 

 Livingston in 1892 and in 1895 by the Richard Frotscher 

 Seed Co. 



This apparently was much like Champion Market 

 in shape and size, often being a little larger. It differed 

 chiefly from that variety in having heavier and decidedly 

 more coarsely interlaced netting and a much less promi- 

 nent blossom end scar. It also had a thinner rind and, 

 obviously, was a poorer handler and keeper. 



Fruit medium large, 6-6)2 x 7-7' 2 inches; weight 4-4' 2 

 pounds. Shape nearly globular, slightly flattened at the base, and 



apex full; blossom scar obscure; ribs prominent, 1 } o-2 inches broad 

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

 moderately abundant, coarsely interlaced; cork heavy and unevenly 

 distributed over the surface, often patchy; interstices medium deep. 

 Skin color greenish yellow, sparsely mottled with cream. Flesh 

 light green, moderately thin, lJ-g-lM inches; texture coarse and 

 fibrous, soft and juicy; sweet, fair flavor and mildly aromatic; 

 quality fair to moderately good. Cavity medium large, 3x3 inches, 

 circular in cross-section. Rind thick, J 4 inch, rather soft and weak. 



Newport. Refs. 9, 29, 38, 53, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 133. 

 Peter Henderson & Co. of New York offered this 

 melon in 1892 saying that in general appearance it did 

 not differ from the Hackensack except that it was a 

 little smaller. It was apparently well liked by those who 

 considered quality before yield and size. 



.Nixon. Refs. 89, 91, 92, 97, 125, 133. 



Before the development of the melon industry in 

 Colorado and the West, the South was the leading melon 

 shipping section of the country. Major John W. Nixon 

 of Augusta, Georgia, was one of the pioneer growers and 

 was known far and wide for his barrel shipments of 

 the Nixon melon. The variety originated near Augusta 

 and was advertised as a real " Georgia cantaloup " or 

 " purely a southern melon." The age of the variety is 

 not known but records of its use go back to 1876. 



This is a moderately late variety, maturing 4 or 5 

 days earlier than Texas Cannonball, in season vrith 

 Honey Mel and Rocky Ford, and 6 or 8 days later than 

 Honey Rock. The fruits most resemble Texas Cannon 

 Ball in shape, but are slightly smaller, more uniformly 

 netted and slightly more furrowed. The skin has more 

 brown pigments and the flesh is softer and tinted with 

 orange about the cavity instead of solid green as with 

 Texas Cannon Ball. 



Plant vigorous; vines coarse and heavy; branches medium in 

 number. 



Fruit medium large, 5J^-6 x 5 1 9-6 inches; weight 2 3 1 -3 1 4 

 pounds. Shape globular, symmetrical; base slightly depressed; 

 apex full, blossom scar obscure; ribs slightly prominent, 1 3 4 inches 

 broad at the medial; furrows moderately narrow, shallow and 

 usually smooth to slightly netted. Netting moderately abundant, 

 rather coarsely laced, often streaked; cork medium heavy, distributed 

 rather uniformly over the entire surface; interstices moderately 

 shallow. Skin color golden brown profusely mottled with green. 

 Flesh light green with thin pale orange area adjacent to cavity; 

 moderately thick, 1 J 2 — 1 : '4 inches; texture moderately coarse, 

 fibrous, medium firm and juicy; very sweet, strongly flavored and 

 rather pungent; quality fair to moderately poor. Cavity moderately 

 small, 2 3 4 x 2 1 2 inches, circular in cross-section. Rind thick, 

 inch, moderately strong and medium tough. 



Nutmeg. Refs. 2, 4, 8, 20, 22, 26, 28, 29, 31, 35, 41, 43, 



44, 45, 46, 47, 49, 53, 63, 90, 91, 92, 94, 95, 96, 

 98, 99, 100, 101, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 109, 116, 

 117, 124, 125, 127, 130, 131, 133, 135, 136, 139, 144. 

 Syns. Alton Large Nutmeg, Arlington, Arlington 

 Green Fleshed, Arlington Green Nutmeg, Arling- 

 ton Nutmeg, Boston Large Nutmeg, Brooks 

 Nutmeg, Early Burlington, Early Green Flesh 

 Nutmeg, Early Green Nutmeg, Early Nutmeg, 

 Early Prolific Nutmeg, Early Ripe, Early Round 

 Nutmeg, Early Sugar Nutmeg, Extra Early Green 

 Nutmeg, Extra Early Nutmeg, Fine Green Nut- 



