MELON. 



241 



in ripening", and therefore requires watching and 

 cutting on the first appearance of a crack at the 

 stalk. Both sorts are but slightly ribbed ; the flesh 

 is firm, and of fine flavour ; and, taking it altogether, 

 it is one of the best of melons. 



It is above sixty years since the writer first culti- 

 vated this melon, having at that time received seeds 

 from an old gardener of the name of Drew, then in 

 the service of Earl Fitzwilliam, at Richmond. Drew 

 had cultivated the Romana for twenty years pre- 

 viously ; and the writer has not observed the least 

 degeneration of the sort in all this long period. It 

 is to show that any variety of the melon may be 

 kept true by care, that this circumstance is related. 

 There is also the netted Romana, a very good sort, 

 sometimes called the netted cantaloupe, which is 

 wrong, that being a very different fruit. 



3. Scarlet Flesh Rock Cantaloupe, — Few melons 

 have been held in higher estimation than this, and 

 few have had more prizes awarded than there have 

 been to this. The fruit are middle-sized; average 

 weight about three pounds ; the rind rough, but only 

 moderately warted; shape nearly round, and not 

 deeply furrowed ; colour, mottled-green and yellow ; 

 flesh melting, rich, and of a fine scarlet colour. 

 It is an early and prolific bearer. Two or three of 

 the most promising fruit on each plant only should 

 be allowed to swell off, and much attention is re- 

 quired to keep up a regular bottom heat, for which 

 M'Phairs pigeon-hole pits are well designed. It 

 must be observed, that this melon requires rather 



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