MUSKMELONS 



89 



Superior. Refs. 29, 33, 38, 53, 96, 97, 100, 127, 133, 144. 

 Syn. New Superior. 

 This melon originated with a grower in New Jersey 

 and was introduced in 1892 by W. Atlee Burpee of 

 Philadelphia. The illustration shows a melon nearly 

 round, without ribbing, but covered with a heavy dense 

 netting. 



Supreme. Ref. 60. Syn. Giant Emerald Gem. 



Child's Supreme muskmelon was introduced in 1918 

 by John Lewis Childs, Inc. of Floral Park, N. Y. It was 

 originated by George Ashworth, Locust Valley, Long 

 Island. It was a late variety which matured about in 

 season with Montreal Market and 6 8 days later than 

 Hollybrook Luscious. It was similar to the latter 

 in shape and skin color but was considerably larger 

 than that variety and had a deeper orange colored flesh. 



Fruit very large, 9-10 x 7-8 inches; weight 10-12 pounds. 

 Shape oblong, rather lopsided, base full and rounded, apex full, 

 often with rather prominent navel; blossom scar very conspicuous; 

 ribs prominent, variable in width; furrows broad, irregular in depth, 

 smooth. Netting practically absent, when present very fine and 

 patchy. Skin color very dark green. Flesh deep orange yellow, 

 moderately thick, lj^-l?4 inches; texture fine, fiberless, rather firm 

 and juicy; sweet, rather highly flavored and distinctly aromatic; 

 quality very good. Cavity very large, 5x4 inches, circular in 

 cross-section. Rind thin, J 8 inch, very soft and weak. 



Surprise. Refs. 4, 6, 15, 22, 25, 26, 28, 29, 43, 44, 45, 



46, 48, 49, 53, 70, 84, 90, 91, 98, 99, 100, 101, 



105, 107, 108, 109, 124, 127, 128, 133, 136, 139, 144. 



Syns. Baker, Early Surprise, Extra Selected 



New Surprise, New Surprise, Telephone, Young's 



Selected Surprise. 



The Surprise melon, introduced in 1876 by Price 



and Knickerbocker of Albany, N. Y., was considered 



the greatest contribution to the list of melon varieties 



of that period. This judgment was well founded for 



the type, represented first by Surprise and successively 



by Irondequoit, Tip Top, Bender Surprise and Baker's 



Surprise, has been one of the best groups for the local 



market and roadside stand. The exact origin of the 



variety is unknown. Mr. Price, who was responsible 



for its selection and introduction, left no record of the 



varieties entering into its parentage. By many it was 



considered to have come from a cross between White 



Japan and Sill's Hybrid. 



It is a midseason sort maturing 3 or 4 days earlier 

 than Hale's Best, in season with Osage, and 3 or 4 days 

 later than Bender. It is most like Bender, differing 

 from that variety in being smaller, more irregularly 

 ribbed and less uniformly netted. The flesh is paler 

 orange in color, somewhat thinner and coarser in texture. 



Plant vigorous; vines heavy; branches many. 



Fruit moderately large, 7-8 x 5 ' L >-6 inches; weight 6-7 pounds. 

 Shape short oval to nearly globular, often slightly lopsided, base 

 slightly flattened, apex full; blossom scar not very conspicuous; ribs 

 prominent, 1 :! t inches broad, irregular; furrows broad, moderately 

 shallow to deep, smooth. Netting sparse, patchy, often streaked; 

 cork moderately heavy, distributed very unevenly over the surface. 

 Skin color light creamy yellow. Flesh light orange; medium thick, 

 'Jj-l'j inches; texture medium coarse and rather fibrous, soft and 

 juicy: sweet, very mildly flavored and faintly aromatic; quality 



fair to moderately good. Cavity large, 4x3 inches, circular in 

 cross-section. Rind moderately thin, ' s inch, soft and weak. 



Tip Top. Refs. 6, 15, 29, 53, 54, 58, 64, 97, 98, 99, 100, 

 101, 105, 109, 110, 115, 128, 129, 140, 141. Syns. 

 Mosley Tip Top, Nutmeg Tip Top. 

 A. W. Livingston's Sons, Columbus, Ohio, offered 

 Tip Top in 1892. The history of this variety, accord- 

 ing to the Livingston catalog, is that a gentleman living 

 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, discovered a peculiar 

 melon growing in a neighbor's field where various kinds 

 were planted for market, among them Surprise, Hacken- 

 sack, Jenny Lind, and others. Out of curiosity it was 

 cut and tested for quality, with the result that all 

 present were astonished at its excellence. Seed saved 

 from this melon was carried to Ohio and planted there. 

 The fruits proved to be " Tip Top " in every particular. 

 When introduced into California this melon soon became 

 one of the leading sorts. Tip Top belongs in the Sur- 

 prise group which produces the greater part of the 

 large sized salmon-fleshed melons found on our markets. 

 It is so similar to Irondequoit that today the two are 

 considered practically synonymous. 



Triumph. Refs. 26, 29, 53, 60, 97, 98, 99, 100, 133. 

 Syns. Beck's Triumph, New Triumph, Triumph 

 Hybrid. 



This variety was offered for the first time in 1895 by 

 A. W. Livingston's Sons, Columbus, Ohio. Seed had 

 been secured from Antone Beck of Oregon, Illinois. 

 Mr. Beck was also the originator of the Columbus melon, 

 a green -fleshed sort which he crossed with Osage to 

 produce the Triumph. 



It was a midseason sort, 4-5 days later than Extra 

 Early Hackensack and in season with Long Island 

 Beauty. The fruits were similar to Extra Early Hacken- 

 sack in size and shape, although usually more globular 

 and not as uniformly netted. 



Fruit medium large, 6-6 '2 x 6— 6 ] 2 inches; weight 2'o'-3 

 pounds. Shape globular, often slightly flattened at the ends; 

 blossom scar large and corky, conspicuous; ribs slightly prominent, 

 l%—iy& inches broad at the medial; furrows broad, shallow and 

 smooth. Netting rather sparse, medium finely interlaced; cork 

 rather light and unevenly distributed over the ribs. Skin color 

 very dark green later turning to dull orange brown, profusely mottled 

 with cream color. Flesh light green, moderately thin, 1-1 '4 inches; 

 texture coarse and fibrous, soft and juicy; very sweet, mildly flavored 

 and mildly aromatic; quality fair to moderately good. Cavity 

 moderately large, 3% x 3 inches, circular in cross-section. Rind 

 thick, J 4 inch, rather soft and weak. 



Tye. Syn. Early Tye. 



This melon probably came from an accidental cross 

 between one of the American varieties and a melon of 

 the extra early Russian type such as Page's Early. It 

 bears the name Tye because it was discovered and 

 improved by Otis A. Tye of Yucca, North Dakota. 

 Oscar H. Will & Co. of Bismarck, North Dakota, have 

 been growing strains of this melon for twenty years, and 

 that offered in their catalog of 1934 is recommended for 

 both earliness and quality. 



The variety is a moderately early one at Geneva, 

 maturing 4 or 5 days earlier than Acme, in season with 



