90 



THE VEGETABLES OF NEW YORK 



Extra Early Osage, and 4 or 5 days later than Golden 

 Champlain and Fordhook. In shape it resembled Acme 

 and Knight, although it was considerably less netted 

 than those varieties. The skin color was much like 

 that of Bender, and the flesh somewhat lighter orange. 



Plant weak: vines slender; branches few. 



Fruit moderately small; 6-6 >_> x 4-4 , _. inches, weight 2-2 J i 

 pounds. Shape long oval, occasionally somewhat fusiform: base 

 full to slightly extended: apex raised; blossom scar obscure, ribs 

 slightly prominent, 1 ) _> inches broad at the medial; furrows medium 

 broad, rather shallow and netted. Netting moderately sparse, 

 coarsely interlaced and streaked; cork moderately heavy and broad, 

 distributed unevenly over the surface; interstices moderately shallow. 

 Skin color creamy yellow. Flesh orange; moderately thin, 1—1 ] 4 

 inches; texture very fine, fiberless, soft and moderately juicy, 

 moderately sweet, mildly flavored and mildly aromatic; quality 

 fair to poor. 



Ward's Nectar. Refs. 25, 28, 29, 44, 46, 51, 53, 91, 

 93, 94, 98, 99, 100, 127, 131, 133, 134, 144. 

 Ward's Nectar is recorded as being listed in 1849 

 by Hovey, 1869 by Gregory and 1883 by Hender- 

 son. In 1886 after being grown in the trials at Geneva 

 the following was written: " The Golden Netted Gem, 

 Jenny Lind and this are all subvarieties of one variety, 

 and this variety is the smaller prototype of the Green 

 Citron or Early Nutmeg." Well developed fruits were 

 4 inches in diameter in both directions; flesh green with 

 a yellowish line next the seeds; very tender, sweet and 

 delicious. 



Weaver Special. Refs. 54, 81. Syns. Imperial, 

 Imperial Special, Special Imperial White Melon, 

 Sunkist. 



Weaver Special, which under the name of Sunkist 

 was given an Award of Merit in the 1935 All -America 

 rating, seems destined to become one of the leading 

 standard varieties both for shipping and the home 

 garden. In 1930, J. C. Fluke, who was the manager at 

 Brawley, California, for C. H. Weaver Co., discovered 

 a white-skinned melon which he believed was a promis- 

 ing type. After two years, the type seemed fairly well 

 fixed and seed was then sent to James B. Ryan, a melon 

 grower of long experience and one of the founders of the 

 Rocky Ford Cataloupe Seed Breeders Association, for 

 further development and improvement. 



Mr. Ryan and his associates carried on selective 

 work for six generations in order to eliminate some of the 

 undesirable characteristics of the new variety. At the 

 suggestion of Mr. Fluke the name Weaver Special was 

 selected. The parentage of the variety is unknown. By 

 some it is though to have come from a cross between 

 Honey Ball and Hale's Best but no definite record is 

 available. 



This is a late melon which matured at Geneva a week 

 or ten days later than Bender's Surprise, 4 or 5 days later 



than Honeymel, and in season with Honey Ball. The 

 fruits most resemble Honeymel in general appearance, 

 differing from that variety in being more globular, more 

 profusely and uniformly netted and in having an orange 

 colored flesh. It is similar to the Honey Dew in color 

 of skin, but lacks the size and flesh color of that variety. 



Plant moderately vigorous; vines moderately heavy; branches 

 many. 



Fruit moderately small, 5} 2-6 x 5 ] 2-6 inches; weight 2J-2— 3 

 pounds. Shape globular, symmetrical, blossom scar obscure; 

 ribs and furrows absent. Netting abundant, moderately fine 

 interlaced; cork light, uniformly distributed over the surface; 

 interstices shallow. Skin color pale creamy yellow tinted with 

 green. Flesh orange; medium thick, l^-ljo inches; texture fine, 

 very slightly fibrous, moderately firm and rather juicy; very sweet, 

 rather highly flavored and pleasantly aromatic; quality very good. 

 Cavity small, 2 Jo x l'i inches, triangular in cross-section. Rind 

 thick, ' 4 inch, greenish yellow, strong and tough. 



White Japan. Refs. 1, 4, 25, 26, 28, 44, 46, 49, 53, 

 55, 63, 66, 98, 99, 100, 105, 127, 130, 133, 136, 144. 



Syns. American Beauty, Early White Japan, 

 Improved White Japan, Japan, Japan Silver- 

 striped White, New White Japan. White Japanese, 

 Yellow Fleshed Japan, Yellow Meated Japan. 



This melon was one of the earlier varieties, having 

 been mentioned by Burr in 1863. It was understood 

 to have been brought to this country by a member of 

 Commodore Perry's Japanese Expedition of 1853-54. 

 Wm. S. Carpenter, horticulturist of New York introduced 

 the melon to the public and it was listed by Gregory in 

 1866 and Bliss in 1868. Inasmuch as the color of this 

 melon excited particular notice, it is probable that this 

 was the first variety with this characteristic offered in 

 this country. 



White Japan produced mature fruits at Geneva in 

 midseason, about 3 or 4 days earlier than Benders 

 Surprise, in season with Sugar Rock, and about 3 or 4 

 days later than Delicious. It was similar to Bender's 

 Surprise in general appearance, but differed from that 

 variety in being smaller, less symmetrical, less uniformly 

 netted, and in having paler orange flesh color. 



Plant vigorous; vines heavy and coarse; branches moderately 

 few. 



Fruit medium large; 6-6 'j x 6 ] 2~7 inches; weight 3^ -i— 4- 

 pounds. Shape nearly globular, slightly flattened at base and apex; 

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

 1 ] 2— 1?4 inches broad at the medial: furrows medium broad, medium 

 depth and usually smooth, occasionally netted. Netting rather 

 sparse, coarsely interlaced often long streaked; cork heavy, dis- 

 tributed unevenly over the ribs: interstices moderately deep. Skin 

 color creamy yellow. Flesh pale orange, medium thick, 1 ' 4-1 ] 2 

 inches: texture slightly coarse and moderately fibrous, soft and 

 juicy; moderately sweet, mildly flavored and mildly aromatic; 

 quality fair to moderately good. Cavity medium large, 3'; x3 

 inches, circular in cross-section. Rind thick, J .4 inch, medium soft 

 and rather tender. 



