MUSKMELONS 



85 



It is an early variety maturing about a week later 

 than Early Bird and Early Green Citron, in season with 

 Golden Champlain, and 4-6 days earlier than Golden 

 Cream and Delicious. In exterior appearance it most 

 resembles Golden Cream, being slightly smaller, less 

 ovate in shape, more orange in skin color and often less 

 netted. It is entirely distinct from Golden Champlain 

 and other early melons in that it has decidedly less netting 

 and a much more pronounced orange yellow skin color. 

 The flesh is much thinner than that of Golden Cream and 

 much poorer in quality. 



Plant weak; vines moderately slender, branches few. 



Fruit moderately small, 5 1 2 _ 6 x 5-5 '; inches; weight 2-3 

 pounds. Shape nearly globular to short oval, rounded at the base 

 and apex: blossom scar very small and obscure; ribs slightly promi- 

 nent, 1 ' 4 inches broad at the medial ; furrows narrow, moderately 

 shallow and smooth. Netting very sparse to absent, finely inter- 

 laced and streaked; cork very light, distributed very unevenly; 

 interstices very shallow. Skin color pale orange yellow. Flesh 

 pale orange yellow, moderately thin, 1-1 1 4 inches; texture fine, 

 fiberless, soft and juicy; slightly sweet, mildly flavored, and strongly 

 aromatic: quality fair to poor. Cavity medium large, 3'_. x 2 3 4 ' 

 inches, circular in cross-section. Rind medium thick, J £ inch, soft 

 and weak. 



Paul Rose. Refs. 29, 41, 53, 64, 70, 75, 95, 97, 99, 100, 

 101, 105, 108, 109, 110, 115, 116, 118, 129, 133, 

 136, 140, 141, 143. Syns. Osage Gem, Petosky, 

 Salmon Fleshed Gem, Salmon-fleshed Genesee. 



In the early nineties the two most important 

 varieties in the Michigan cantaloupe belt were the Osage 

 and the Netted Gem. Crosses between these varieties 

 occurred on the farm of Roland Morrill of Benton Harbor, 

 Michigan. Paul Rose of South Frankfort, Michigan, a 

 neighbor and friend of Mr. Morrill, began the selection 

 work which led to the introduction of the Paul Rose 

 melon from plants of one of these crosses. Mr. Rose 

 named his new melon Petosky, but when J. C. Vaughan 

 of Chicago purchased the seed stock and introduced it 

 in 1898, he renamed it the Paul Rose. This new variety 

 became one of the most popular sorts ever introduced. 

 It proved to be just the size required for a good market 

 melon and had those characteristics of flesh and shell 

 which made it " carry further and stand up longer " 

 than any other sort. 



It is a midseason sort, coming into season 3 or 4 

 days earlier than Burrell's Gem, in season with Hearts 

 of Gold and about a week later than Delicious. The 

 fruits are similar in shape to Burrell's Gem although 

 somewhat shorter. The netting is similar, but is coarse 

 and not as uniformly interlaced. They are much the 

 same in flesh characteristics. 



Plant vigorous; vines moderately heavy; branches 

 moderately many. 



Fruit moderately small, 6-6 ' ■> x 5-5 ] 2 inches; weight 2-2 '2 

 pounds. Shape short oval, base and apex rounded, blossom scar 

 moderately conspicuous; ribs slightly prominent, l'j-l 3 ^ inches 

 broad at the medial: furrows distinct, moderately broad, moderately 

 shallow and smooth. Netting abundant, moderately fine inter- 

 laced; cork moderately light, distributed rather uniformly over the 

 ribs, base and apex; interstices moderately shallow. Skin color 

 dark green, slightly mottled with yellowish green at full maturity. 

 Flesh salmon orange, moderately thick, 1'2-1 3 4 inches; texture 

 moderately fine, slightly fibrous, rather firm, moderately juicy; 



sweet, somewhat sprightly, highly flavored and pleasantly aromatic; 

 quality good. Cavity moderately small, 3 '4 x 2 inches, triangular 

 in cross-section. Rind medium thick, ' 3 inch, strong and tough. 



Poarl Pink Meat. Refs. 15, 54, 105. Syns. Abbott's 

 Pearl, Buckskin, Pearl Pink, Pearly Pink, Pink 

 Pearl. 



This melon, which was introduced in 1923 by D. V. 

 Burrell, Rocky Ford, Colorado, and C. C. Morse 8s 

 Co., San Francisco, has been grown with success in 

 the New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland section. As 

 originally introduced, the name Abbott's Pearl was 

 used by C. C. Morse but was dropped after 1925. The 

 name Pearl Pink Meat or Abbott's Pearl was used by 

 Burrell and is the name under which the variety is 

 known today. G. W. Abbott, a leading grower of 

 Rocky Ford, was the originator, and perfected the stock 

 after several years selection. 



This is a moderately late variety maturing at Geneva 

 4 or 5 days earlier than Montreal Market, in season with 

 Rocky Ford and Oregon Delicious, and about a week 

 later than Sugar Rock. The variety most resembles 

 Burrell's Gem and Oregon Delicious in shape, being 

 much smaller than the latter and not as tapered at the 

 ends as the former. The netting is most like that of 

 Sugar Rock, but is much more abundant and more 

 closely interlaced. 



Plant vigorous; vines coarse and heavy; branches moderately 

 many. 



Fruit moderately small, 5 ! 2-6 x 4^4-5 inches: weight 1^-2 

 pounds. Shape short oval, apex even, occasionally somewhat 

 raised, base full; ribs moderately obscure; furrows narrow, very 

 shallow, netted and extend from base to apex. Netting abundant, 

 coarsely interlaced, somewhat circular in pattern at the ends; 

 cork very heavy, distributed uniformly over the entire fruit; inter- 

 stices deep; skin color grayish green, turning to pale cream at full 

 maturity. Flesh orange, medium thick, 1 1 4 -1 1 2 inches; texture 

 fine, moderately firm, moderately juicy, slightly fibrous; sweet, 

 rather highly flavored, pleasant aroma: general quality good. 

 Cavity small, 3 x 1 ' 2 inches, circular in cross-section. Rind 

 medium thick, } g inch, tough and strong. 



Peerless Pearl. Ref. 54. Syn. Abbott's Peerless Pearl. 

 This was a selection from Abbott's Pearl and was 

 introduced in 1928 by D. V. Burrell, Rocky Ford, 

 Colorado. With the exception of the paper-white seed 

 it was similar in most respects to Pearl Pink Meat. 



Plant vigorous; vines moderately heavy; branches moderately 

 many. 



Fruit moderately small, 5}/£-6 x 4j£-5 inches; weight 2-2' 

 pounds. Shape short oval, base full to slightly extended, apex 

 even ; blossom scar obscure ; ribs obscure, 1 ? ' 4 inches broad at the 

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

 very abundant, moderately fine interlaced; cork very heavy and 

 thick, distributed uniformly over the entire fruit; interstices deep. 

 Skin color pale grayish green. Flesh salmon orange, medium thick, 

 1-1 '4 inches; texture slightly coarse and fibrous, firm and moder- 

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

 very good. Cavity moderately small, 3 ] 2 x 2 l > inches, circular in 

 cross-section. Rind thick, ! 4 inch, very strong and tough. Seeds 

 white. 



Perfected Delmonico. Refs. 11, 29, 97, 98, 100, 133. 



This was a selection from Delmonico which was 



introduced in 1889 by Peter Henderson. The new 



melon offered by that concern in 1894 was smaller in 



