88 



THE VEGETABLES OF NEW YORK 



These belong in the same group, but because of certain 

 superior qualities, became major sorts, even displacing 

 Rocky Ford itself. 



It is a moderately late variety, maturing 5-6 days 

 earlier than Montreal Market, in season with Pollock 

 10 25 and Perfecto and 4-6 days later than Hearts 

 of Gold. It is practically the same as Pollock 10-25 

 in exterior appearance, the fruits being slightly more 

 oval. The flesh has a greater percentage of green with 

 a narrower yellowish gold lining about the cavity instead 

 of a rather broad orange colored area. The present 

 day stocks are much heavier netted, less furrowed and 

 more globular in shape than the original Netted Gem. 



Plant vigorous: vines moderately heavy; branches moderately 

 many. 



Fruit moderately small, 4 I o-5 1 2 x 4-5 inches, weight 1 J j-2 

 pounds. Shape nearly globular, base and apex rounded and full; 

 blossom scar obscure; ribs obscure, 1%~1% inches broad at the 

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

 dant, finely interlaced; cork moderately heavy and distributed 

 uniformly over the entire surface; interstices moderately deep. 

 Skin color dark green, later becoming mottled with yellowish bronze. 

 Flesh green with a narrow gold lining about the cavity; moderately 

 thin, 1-1 '4 inches; texture rather coarse and slightly fibrous, medium 

 firm and juicy; very sweet and sprightly, rather highly flavored 

 and pleasantly aromatic; quality good. Cavity small, 2U x 2 

 inches, triangular in cross-section. Rind medium thick, } 5 - ) 4 inch, 

 strong and tough. 



Sill's Hybrid. Refs. 8, 43, 45, 46, 98, 99, 134. Syn. 

 Sill's. 

 This was a melon offered in 1870 by James J. H. 

 Gregory & Sons of Marblehead, Massachusetts. Many 

 of the early descriptions compared the variety to White 

 Japan, especially in earliness and sweetness. Some 

 considered it to be a cross between White Japan and 

 Christiana. This type was the progenitor of melons 

 in the Osage and Surprise group. 



Silver Netted. Refs. 29, 133. 



This variety was the forerunner of the better known 

 Texas Cannon Ball. It was known as Shumway's Silver 

 Netted and was described as having resulted from a cross 

 between a French Cantaloupe and an American musk- 

 melon. It was listed by R. H. Shumway of Rockford, 

 Illinois sometime previous to 1894. 



Six Oaks. Refs. 10, 29, 53, 97, 98, 99, 100. 



James J. H. Gregory 8b Sons of Marblehead, Mas- 

 sachusetts, introduced the Six Oaks Cantaloupe in 1894. 

 The melons were green-fleshed, deeply ribbed, well netted 

 and nearly round in shape. From the illustration shown 

 this was a melon quite similar to the Hackensack but 

 less flattened and larger. 



Skillman's Netted. Refs. 20, 24, 25, 28, 29, 45, 46, 49, 



52, 53, 55, 96, 99, 100, 105, 108, 127, 131, 133, 

 136, 138, 139, 140, 145. Syns. Skillman, Skill- 

 man's Early, Skillman's Fine Netted, Skillman's 

 Green, Skillman's Netted Gem, Skillman's Netted 

 Nutmeg. 

 This is one of the oldest named varieties of which we 

 have definite record. Listed by Hovey in 1834 and 

 Thorburn in 1837 and mentioned by Bridgman in 1857, 



Watson 1860 and Burr 1863, this constitutes a record for 

 age that few American varieties possess. Likewise we 

 find that it has continued in use until recent times, for 

 the name occurs in the 1918 catalog of Cadwell & Jones 

 and in 1923 for Carters Tested Seeds, Inc. Early 

 descriptions indicate that it was a subvariety of Green 

 Nutmeg and was known as the earliest of the green- 

 fleshed sorts. 



The fruits matured early, about in season with 

 Early Green Nutmeg. It apparently was very much 

 like that variety in shape but was smaller, more distinctly 

 ribbed and more finely netted and interlaced. 



Fruit small, 4— 4 ] 2 x 4-4 1 inches; weight 1-1 ' 2 pounds. 

 Shape globular, base slightly flattened and depressed about the 

 stem, apex full; ribs moderately prominent, furrows broad, moder- 

 ately shallow and netted. Netting abundant, finely interlaced, 

 distinctly streaked and circular in pattern about the base and 

 apex; cork moderately light, distributed uniformly over the surface, 

 interstices shallow. Skin color dark bronze buff at full maturity. 

 Flesh green, moderately thin, 1-1 '4 inches; texture moderately 

 coarse, tender; very sweet; quality good. Cavity very small, 

 2 x l 1 ! inches, circular in cross-section. Rind thick, J4 -?s inch, 

 moderately strong and tough. 



Southern Beauty. Refs. 53, 96, 97, 99, 100, 103. 



Little is known of the history of this variety or 

 the extent to which it was grown. The first listing of 

 the variety was found in the 1895 catalog of the Lovett 

 Company of Little Silver, New Jersey. It was listed 

 by Vaughan in 1897 and by Griffith and Turner in 

 1902. The latter firm recommended it as particularly 

 suited to the southern climate. The flesh was thick, 

 green, and had a rich, spicy or aromatic flavor. 



Spicy. Ref. 136. 



The Spicy melon is strikingly distinct in the quality 

 and flavor of the flesh. The original seed came from 

 a grower in Minden, Louisiana, where it was seen in 

 1906 by a Burpee representative. After testing for 

 three more seasons, the variety was introduced in 1910 

 by W. Atlee Burpee. The quality of Spicy has been 

 likened to that of some of the greenhouse grown foreign 

 melons. Although the variety name has continued 

 until recently in the Burpee catalogs, it has not been 

 generally listed by other concerns. 



It was a late variety, 3-4 days earlier than Giant, 

 in season with Montreal Market and 10 days or two 

 weeks later than Hale's Best. It is most like Golden 

 Cream in shape and netting characteristics. The skin 

 is more like that of Honey Ball, although the flesh is 

 orange instead of green. 



Fruit medium large, 6'o-7 x 4 '2-5 '4' inches; weight 3-3 '2 

 pounds. Shape moderately long oval; base full and rounded; apex 

 rounded; blossom scar corky and conspicuous; ribs slightly promi- 

 nent; 1 ' _>-2 inches broad at the medial; furrows medium narrow, 

 medium depth and smooth. Netting very sparse, finely interlaced 

 and very short streaked; cork very light, unevenly distributed over 

 the surface. Skin color pale lemon yellow. Flesh pale orange, 

 medium thick, l^'-l 3 s inches; texture fine, fiberless, moderately 

 soft and juicy; sweet, sprightly, highly flavored and pleasantly 

 aromatic; quality good. Cavity medium large, 4 ' 4 x 2 ' _. inches, 

 triangular in cross-section. Rind moderately thin, ' , inch, light 

 yellow, rather soft and tender. 



