﻿JANTJAKY 
  1 
  TO 
  MARCH 
  31, 
  1911. 
  23 
  

  

  29458 
  and 
  29459. 
  Cucumis 
  melo 
  L. 
  Muskmelon. 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  Maltese 
  Islands. 
  Presented 
  by 
  Mr. 
  James 
  Olivei 
  Laing, 
  American 
  

   consul, 
  Malta. 
  Received 
  January 
  26, 
  1911. 
  

   Seeds 
  of 
  the 
  following; 
  quoted 
  notes 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Laing: 
  

  

  29458. 
  "Seeds 
  from 
  one 
  dark 
  melon 
  (winter), 
  grown 
  in 
  the 
  island 
  of 
  Gozo, 
  

   one 
  of 
  this 
  group. 
  This 
  particular 
  melon 
  is 
  the 
  finest 
  specimen 
  of 
  the 
  fruit 
  

   I 
  have 
  seen 
  here." 
  

  

  29459. 
  " 
  Seeds 
  from 
  several 
  yellow 
  melons 
  (summer)." 
  

  

  "There 
  are 
  two 
  varieties 
  of 
  the 
  Malta 
  melon: 
  The 
  winter 
  or 
  green 
  variety 
  and 
  the 
  

   summer 
  or 
  yellow 
  kind. 
  The 
  winter 
  type 
  has 
  a 
  dark-green 
  rind, 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  netted, 
  

   but 
  sometimes 
  almost 
  smooth. 
  The 
  average 
  Malta 
  melon, 
  whether 
  green 
  or 
  yellow, 
  

   is 
  much 
  less 
  netted 
  than 
  the 
  average 
  Rocky 
  Ford 
  melon 
  in 
  the 
  United 
  States. 
  The 
  

   winter 
  variety 
  is 
  more 
  oval 
  than 
  the 
  summer 
  variety. 
  Both 
  have 
  a 
  large 
  circular 
  

   crown 
  at 
  the 
  place 
  of 
  the 
  insertion 
  of 
  the 
  flower. 
  The 
  pulp 
  of 
  the 
  winter 
  melon 
  is 
  

   white 
  or 
  cream 
  colored; 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  summer 
  melon 
  ranges 
  through 
  various 
  tints 
  of 
  

   pinkish 
  orange. 
  The 
  pulp 
  of 
  both 
  varieties 
  has 
  a 
  delicate 
  flavor, 
  but 
  not 
  as 
  rich 
  and 
  

   full 
  as 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  good 
  American 
  muskmelon. 
  

  

  "The 
  rind 
  of 
  both 
  kinds 
  is 
  no 
  thicker 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  an 
  American 
  muskmelon, 
  but 
  is 
  

   much 
  tougher 
  and 
  more 
  resilient. 
  A 
  blow 
  that 
  would 
  crush 
  the 
  rind 
  of 
  an 
  American 
  

   muskmelon 
  would 
  leave 
  a 
  Malta 
  melon 
  uninjured. 
  This 
  makes 
  them 
  an 
  excellent 
  

   shipping 
  variety. 
  

  

  "Winter 
  fruit 
  selected 
  and 
  stored 
  by 
  experts 
  is 
  frequently 
  eaten 
  in 
  January, 
  having 
  

   been 
  plucked 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  weeks 
  of 
  September. 
  This 
  is 
  exceptional, 
  but 
  fruit 
  which 
  

   has 
  been 
  kept 
  a 
  month 
  or 
  six 
  weeks 
  is 
  served 
  at 
  the 
  best 
  hotels 
  in 
  Malta. 
  

  

  "The 
  seeds 
  of 
  the 
  summer 
  variety 
  are 
  planted 
  in 
  March 
  and 
  the 
  fruit 
  matures 
  in 
  

   August. 
  Those 
  of 
  the 
  winter 
  variety 
  are 
  planted 
  in 
  April 
  and 
  mature 
  in 
  September. 
  

   At 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  third 
  week 
  after 
  germination 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  seedlings 
  in 
  each 
  hole 
  

   is 
  reduced 
  to 
  one 
  or 
  two. 
  When 
  the 
  fourth 
  leaf 
  has 
  developed 
  the 
  point 
  of 
  the 
  plant 
  

   is 
  nipped 
  off. 
  No 
  instrument 
  is 
  used, 
  as 
  the 
  point 
  is 
  tender 
  and 
  is 
  simply 
  pinched 
  

   off 
  between 
  the 
  thumb 
  and 
  finger. 
  This 
  has 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  causing 
  the 
  plant 
  to 
  throw 
  

   out 
  lateral 
  shoots. 
  From 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  pinching 
  off 
  the 
  points 
  until 
  the 
  fruit 
  is 
  as 
  large 
  

   as 
  an 
  egg 
  the 
  plants 
  are 
  dusted 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  times 
  with 
  flowers 
  of 
  sulphur 
  to 
  prevent 
  

   mildew. 
  

  

  "The 
  fruit 
  is 
  formed 
  on 
  the 
  lateral 
  shoots 
  caused 
  by 
  pinching 
  off 
  the 
  point. 
  The 
  

   plant 
  is 
  not 
  raised 
  on 
  a 
  support, 
  but 
  trails 
  along 
  the 
  ground. 
  If 
  the 
  sun 
  is 
  particularly 
  

   hot 
  the 
  fruit 
  is 
  protected 
  by 
  drawing 
  leaves 
  and 
  branches 
  over 
  it 
  and 
  weighting 
  it 
  

   down 
  with 
  a 
  stone. 
  This 
  is 
  done 
  especially 
  with 
  the 
  winter 
  or 
  green 
  melons. 
  During 
  

   the 
  entire 
  growing 
  period 
  the 
  ground 
  is 
  kept 
  free 
  from 
  weeds. 
  The 
  melons 
  are 
  seldom 
  

   watered 
  artificially 
  except 
  when 
  they 
  are 
  grown 
  on 
  shallow 
  or 
  bad 
  soil. 
  Most 
  of 
  the 
  

   rainfall 
  of 
  the 
  year 
  is 
  in 
  February. 
  Comparatively 
  little 
  rain 
  falls 
  between 
  the 
  dates 
  

   of 
  planting 
  and 
  picking. 
  Each 
  plant 
  is 
  allowed 
  to 
  nourish 
  not 
  more 
  than 
  two 
  melons. 
  

   After 
  gathering 
  the 
  crop 
  the 
  melons 
  are 
  stored 
  in 
  well-ventilated 
  places 
  and 
  should 
  

   not 
  touch 
  each 
  other. 
  

  

  "Melons 
  are 
  grown 
  in 
  all 
  kinds 
  of 
  soil 
  here. 
  Although 
  Malta 
  is 
  only 
  17 
  miles 
  long, 
  

   there 
  are 
  several 
  distinct 
  kinds 
  of 
  soil. 
  They 
  all, 
  however, 
  contain 
  a 
  large 
  proportion 
  

   of 
  carbonate 
  of 
  lime. 
  In 
  some 
  cases 
  this 
  ranges 
  as 
  high 
  as 
  90 
  per 
  cent. 
  The 
  soil 
  in 
  

   this 
  case 
  is 
  only 
  broken 
  particles 
  of 
  rock. 
  Melons 
  grow 
  in 
  all 
  these 
  varieties 
  of 
  soil. 
  

   One 
  reason, 
  perhaps, 
  is 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  phosphates 
  and 
  alkalies 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  close 
  

   proximity 
  of 
  the 
  underlying 
  rock. 
  There 
  is 
  little 
  rain 
  in 
  Malta, 
  but 
  what 
  there 
  is, 
  is 
  

   conserved 
  admirably 
  in 
  a 
  stratum 
  of 
  blue 
  clay, 
  which 
  is 
  almost 
  impervious 
  to 
  water." 
  

   (Laing.) 
  

   233 
  

  

  