MUSKMELONS 



83 



meg, Fine Netted, Fine Netted Nutmeg, Fine 

 Nutmeg, Green-fleshed Nutmeg, Green Meated 

 Nutmeg, Improved Arlington Nutmeg, Improved 

 Citron Nutmeg, Improved Green Nutmeg, 

 Improved Green Prolific Nutmeg, Improved 

 Large Nutmeg, Improved Nutmeg, Improved 

 Prolific Nutmeg, Large Green Nutmeg, Large 

 Nutmeg, Netted Nutmeg, Prolific Green Nutmeg, 

 Prolific Netted, Prolific Netted Nutmeg, Prolific 

 Nutmeg, Small Green Nutmeg, Sugar Nutmeg. 

 The name " Nutmeg " was given to the variety from 

 its similarity of form to that of a nutmeg. One of the 

 oldest melons known, it for many years represented a 

 rather definite type but after half a century in cultiva- 

 tion certain variations due to natural crossings occurred 

 and today Nutmeg is perhaps more suggestive of a group 

 of melons than it is of any specific melon. Green Nut- 

 meg, Early Green Nutmeg, Alton Nutmeg 'introduced 

 in 1865 by O. L. Barler of Alton, Illinois*, and Improved 

 Green Nutmeg were among the earliest of these variations 

 but represent only a few of the many names used. It 

 was listed in all of the early catalogs under the brief 

 description, " Nutmeg; green flesh, very sweet and fra- 

 grant; early." Burr in 1863 described 12 varieties of 

 melons suitable for the garden, and of those Nutmeg was 

 the only small, oval, early green-fleshed variety. The 

 most typical strain obtainable today is much more 

 oblate than the original, and is described below. 



This is an early melon, maturing at Geneva about the 

 same time as Golden Champlain and Jenny Lind, a few 

 days later than Early Green Citron, and about a 

 week or ten days earlier than Hackensack. The fruits 

 are similar in type and shape to Hackensack, being 

 decidedly smaller, less uniformly netted and more 

 coarsely interlaced, with skin of a darker yellowish brown 

 color. It is very similar to Early Green Citron, although 

 it is slightly larger, somewhat more oblate, more pro- 

 fusely netted and lacks the yellowish green flesh color 

 present in that variety. 



Plant medium in vigor; vines moderately slender; branches 

 many. 



Fruit moderately small, 4 ] 2-5 x 5 '2-6 inches; weight 2 ] o-3 

 pounds. Shape oblate; base slightly depressed; apex even; blossom 

 scar conspicuous, corky; ribs rather obscure, 1 ] £ inches broad at the 

 medial; furrows narrow, shallow and smooth. Netting medium 

 abundant, rather coarsely interlaced: cork medium heavy, rather 

 uniformly distributed over the ribs; interstices medium deep. Skin 

 color dull yellowish brown moderately mottled with green. Flesh 

 light green; moderately thin, 1-1 }± inches; texture moderately coarse 

 and fibrous, soft and juicy; very sweet and sprightly, strongly 

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

 circular in cross-section. Rind thick, '4 inch, rather soft and tender. 



Ohio Sugar. Refs. 15, 58, 64, 65, 73, 79, 105, 109, 136. 

 Syns. Green Fleshed Tip Top, Minnesota Melt- 

 ing Sugar. 

 The Livingston Seed Co., Columbus, Ohio, intro- 

 duced this melon in 1908 as the sweetest and richest 

 flavored green -fleshed melon they had ever seen. Com- 

 ing from a cross made five years earlier, it had all the 

 external appearance of Tip-Top and in a few years 

 became more widely known as " Green Fleshed Tip Top." 



Those who knew their melons found that the flesh was a 

 little less fibrous than that of Hackensack with a more 

 pleasing taste, a little sweeter with a less pronounced 

 musk aroma. For nearly thirty years it steadily gained 

 friends, and in some sections is still considered a very 

 desirable typ 



It is a moderately late variety, maturing 4-6 days 

 earlier than Montreal Market, in season with Oka and 

 Hale's Best and about a week later than Bender's 

 Surprise. It resembles Bender's Surprise in exterior 

 appearance, being less symmetrical, more unevenly 

 ribbed and often more patchy in netting and skin color. 

 The flesh is more greenish yellow than that of Montreal 

 Market. 



Plant vigorous; vines moderately coarse and heavy; branches 

 many. 



Fruit very large, 8-9 x 7-8 inches; weight 6-8 pounds; shape 

 short oval to nearly globular; base slightly enlarged and depressed; 

 apex full; blossom scar conspicuous, corky; ribs prominent, 1 '4 inches 

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

 Netting moderately sparse, coarsely interlaced, often streaked; cork 

 medium heavy, unevenly distributed over the ribs; interstices 

 medium deep. Skin color creamy yellow. Flesh light green with a 

 pale amber tint near the cavity; texture fine, slightly fibrous, soft 

 and juicy; sweet and rather highly flavored, rather pleasantly 

 aromatic; quality good. Cavity very large, 5 x 3 3 2 inches, circular 

 in cross-section. Rind thick, ?4-?s inch, medium soft and rather 

 tender. 



Oka. Ref. 109. 



The Montreal Melon, which for size and quality 

 had few superiors as a green-fleshed sort, was used as 

 one parent to produce the Oka melon. The second 

 parent was the Banana, which, although of too irregular 

 shape for a good market melon, possesses an unusually 

 sweet, deep orange flesh. The cross was made some 

 twenty-five years ago by the Rev. Father Athanase of 

 the Trappist Monastery at La Trappe, Quebec. The 

 melon received the name Oka from the Oka Agricultural 

 Institute and the Oka monastery founded in 1720. 

 Seed in this country was distributed in 1924 by Joseph 

 Breck & Sons of Boston. Father Athanase who passed 

 on some years ago delegated to Dupuy & Ferguson of 

 Montreal the maintenance of his strain. 



It is a moderately late variety maturing 6-8 days 

 earlier than Montreal Market, in season with Hale's 

 Best and 4-6 days later than Bender's Surprise. It 

 is similar to Irondequoit in shape and size, although it is 

 somewhat less ribbed, more sparsely netted and has a 

 larger, more prominent blossom scar. It is decidedly 

 less ribbed and netted than Montreal Market and some- 

 what more regular in shape. 



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

 ately few. 



Fruit medium large; 5 1 ?— 6 x 6 l i-7 inches; weight 5-6 pounds. 

 Shape globular, with base slightly enlarged, apex even; blossom scar 

 conspicuous; ribs slightly prominent, somewhat paired, 1 J 4-2 inches 

 broad at the medial, not uniform; furrows moderately broad and 

 moderately shallow, alternate ones more shallow, smooth, occasion- 

 ally slightly netted. Netting rather sparse, medium finely inter- 

 laced, often short streaked; cork light, unevenly distributed over 

 the ribs; interstices very shallow. Skin color creamy yellow. 

 Flesh orange yellow, medium thick, l'^-l'o inches; texture coarse, 

 1 fibrous, moderately sweet, mildly flavored and faintly aromatic; 



