CANTALOUP, OR ROCK MELONS 



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Algerian Cantaloup Melon 

 (i natural size). 



contrasting strongly with the light silvery hue of the other parts 

 of the ribs. The dark green parts change to orange colour, but 

 not fully until the fruit is over-ripe, so that it should be gathered 

 before the change takes place. The length 

 of the fruit varies from 6 to 10 in., and 

 the diameter from about 5 to 8 in., the 

 weight ranging from about four and a 

 half to six and three-quarter pounds. A 

 plant may carry two fruit. 



It is surprising that this Melon is not 

 grown by the Paris market-gardeners, as 

 it is one of the hardiest summer Melons, 

 and surpasses all of them, perhaps, in 

 uniform goodness of quality. The flesh 

 is thick, juicy, perfumed, and always very 

 sweet. Ripens half-late. 



Green-fleshed Cantaloup Melon. — A 

 medium-sized, branching, rather slender- 

 stemmed plant. Leaves medium-sized or 

 small, dark green, folded at the ed^es, and often rather deeply cut 

 into five lobes ; fruit spherical, or slightly flattened at the ends, with 

 faintly marked ribs, light green at the bottom of the furrows, and 

 slightly warted on the convexity of the ribs, which are marbled 



with white and dark green. The 

 length of the fruit varies from about 

 5 to 6 in., the diameter slightly 

 exceeding those dimensions, and 

 the weight ranging from about 

 2 lb. 10 oz. to 3 lb. 5 oz. A plant 

 may carry two, and sometimes 

 three, fruit. Flesh pale green, very 

 thick, melting, juicy, sweet, and 

 delicately perfumed. This is one 

 of the finest flavoured of all the 

 Cantaloup Melons. 



Black Portugal, or Rock 

 Cantaloup, Melon. — A very 

 vigorous, branching plant, with very 

 large, soft, rounded, entire leaves, 

 of a clear-green colour, more like 

 the leaves of Netted Melon than 

 those of a Cantaloup. Fruit very 

 large, slightly oblong, very blunt, 

 and almost flat at the end farthest from the stalk ; ribs deeply 

 marked ; skin irregular, knobby, and marked with spots of very 

 dark green on a lighter green ground ; stalk very long, and swollen 



Black Portugal, or Rock Cantaloup, 

 Melon (i- natural size). 



