84 



THE VEGETABLES OF NEW YORK 



quality fair. Cavity large, 3J4-4 inches, circular in cross-section. 

 Rind very thick, ? fj inch, medium strong and fairly tough. 



Oregon Delicious. Ref. 54. Syn. Golden Heart. 



Gill Bros. Seed Co. of Portland, Oregon, introduced 

 this distinct new melon in 1929. It was a selection from 

 the Speer melon which had been grown for many years 

 by a gardener of that name at Albany, Oregon. When 

 first offered many of the melons were slightly pear- 

 shaped at the stem end but Gill Bros, have partly suc- 

 ceeded in selecting away from this to get a more rounded 

 end. The origin of the Speer melon is unknown but it 

 is suspected by Gill Bros, to have been a hybrid perhaps 

 with the Banana melon as one parent. The variety is 

 used chiefly as a home garden and market sort. 



This is a moderately late variety maturing at 

 Geneva 4 or 5 days earlier than Montreal Market, in 

 season with Abbott's Pearl and Rocky Ford and a week 

 or ten days later than Delicious. It most resembles 

 Abbott's Pearl in general shape, but is considerably 

 larger, has somewhat lighter netting which is not as 

 finely interlaced. It also strongly resembles Sugar Rock 

 in some respects, particularly in color of skin and type 

 of netting. It is, however, much more oblong and more 

 distinctly ribbed. 



Plant vigorous; vines moderately coarse; branches medium in 

 number. 



Fruit moderately large, 8 ' 2-9 x 6-6 '2 inches; weight 4 1 _>-5 

 pounds. Shape long oval to fusiform, base decidedly extended, 

 often to a snout-like protuberance; apex moderately extended; 

 blossom scar obscure; ribs not prominent, 1 ' -_>-2 inches broad at 

 the medial; furrows narrow, very shallow and netted. Netting 

 sparse, very coarsely interlaced, often in the form of long streaks; 

 cork heavy and very broad, distributed rather uniformly over the 

 entire fruit; interstices moderately shallow. Skin color pale grayish 

 green, later turning to creamy yellow. Flesh deep orange, medium 

 thick, l'-j-l'-j inches; texture very fine, fiberless, medium firm, 

 juicy; very sweet, highly flavored and pleasantly aromatic; quality 

 very good. Cavity moderately large, 5 x 2 > 2 inches, triangular 

 in cross-section. Rind thick, J^ inch, strong and moderately tough. 



Osage. Refs. 4, 6, 10, 12, 15, 22, 29, 33, 36, 38, 39, 41, 

 48, 50, 53, 54, 58, 64, 65, 70, 78, 79, 83, 91, 92, 

 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 103, 104, 105, 

 106, 108, 109, 118, 123, 125, 127, 128, 129, 133, 

 136, 140, 141, 143, 144. Syns. All Meat, 

 Beauty Osage, Connecticut Special, Golden Prince, 

 Golden Wonder, Honey Drop, Honey Drop 

 Improved, Improved Osage, Invincible, " Millers 

 Cream," Netted Osage, New Orange Cream, New 

 Osage, New Osage Gem, Orange Cream, Osage 

 Blue Ribbon, Osage Orange Flesh, Osage Red 

 Flesh, Osage Salmon Fleshed, Osage Select, 

 Premium Osage, Selected A-l, Selected New 

 Osage, Yellow-fleshed Osage. 

 The Osage melon was probably the first of the 

 many successful plant originations by Roland Morrill of 

 Benton Harbor, Michigan. This is in the oldest com- 

 mercial peach region in Michigan. After the yellows 

 destroyed the peach industry the district turned to a 

 more diversified horticulture, and planted berries and 

 grapes and finally melons with a miscellaneous list of 

 other vegetables. 



In 1871 William Rose and in the following year 

 Mr. Morrill, began to raise melons. A few years 

 later, in the search for better varieties, seeds of a melon 

 grown in the county along the Osage River, in Kansas, 

 were brought to Benton Harbor. This melon, some- 

 times called Black Swedish, was black-green, with a 

 very thick, sweet, yellow flesh, although it was small 

 and round. About 1882 Miller's Cream, a long smooth 

 variety of good quality was also introduced in the 

 section. A natural cross was facilitated between the 

 two varieties by Mr. Rose and Mr. Morrill by plant- 

 ing the two kinds together. In order to obtain earli- 

 ness, the improved stock was later crossed with the 

 Christiana, a round netted melon, but having flesh 

 which becomes soft in shipping. The new type was 

 desired, above all, to be solid and durable, to have a 

 thin rind, protected with a moderate netting and to 

 be egg-shaped for ease in handling. 



Careful selection by Mr. Morrill of his seed melons 

 each year built up a seed stock which for purity was 

 noted throughout the region. In 1887 Mr. Morrill sold 

 seeds of the new melon to J. C. Vaughan of Chicago, who 

 introduced it under the name Osage. After forty years 

 this melon still holds a firm position among the best 

 American varieties, although it has been abandoned by its 

 originator and by the district in which it grew to fame. 

 This, however, is only because of a new variety developed 

 by Mr. Morrill, the Hearts of Gold melon, which proved 

 even more suited to the region. 



It is a midseason variety maturing about 4 or 5 

 days earlier than Hales Best, in season with Bender's 

 Surprise, and about a week later than Extra Early Osage. 

 It most resembles the latter variety, although Osage 

 is a trifle more ovate in shape and is less netted. It is 

 distinctly more oblong and ovate than Bender's Surprise 

 and is considerably finer interlaced and less netted. 

 The skin color and type of netting is much like that of 

 Emerald Gem. The flesh is much the same as Extra 

 Early Osage in color, but in some sections it is often 

 considered inferior to it in quality. 



Plant vigorous; vines heavy and coarse; branches many. 



Fruit moderately large, 7-8 x 6-6 • 2 inches; weight 5-6 pounds. 

 Shape ovate, base full, somewhat enlarged; apex even; blossom scar 

 small and obscure; ribs slightly prominent, l ;i 4 inches broad at the 

 medial; fuiTows moderately broad, shallow and smooth. Netting 

 very sparse, patchy, rather coarsely interlaced; cork medium light, 

 unevenly distributed over the ribs and at the base; interstices 

 moderately shallow. Skin color dark green profusely mottled with 

 dull brownish yellow at full maturity. Flesh orange, medium 

 thick, 1 1 4 -1 :! 8 inches; texture fine, slightly fibrous, soft and juicy; 

 moderately sweet, rather mildly flavored and mildly aromatic; 

 quality fair to moderately good. Cavity large, 4' 2 x 2 :i _, inches, 

 triangular in crocs-section. Rind thick, moderately weak, and 

 rather tender. 



Page's Early. Ref. 79. 



This was introduced in 1918, by Oscar H. Will 

 & Co., Bismarck, North Dakota. That it may have 

 been a hybrid sort is suggested by the warning that 

 there were somewhat varied types in the original stock. 

 Continued selection has perfected a rather pure strain 

 noted for its earliness. 



