THE MELON. 



561 



Large Musk Cantelope. 



An old and well-known variety, hardly worth growing except for 

 its size. 



Fruit large, long oval, deeply ribbed. Flesh thick, light salmon 

 color, sweet, juicy. It is early and productive, and often used for mak- 

 ing mango pickles. 



Nutmeg. 



An old variety, often seen impure, but when in perfection very 

 melting and excellent. 



Fruit large, roundish oval. Skin very thickly netted, pale green, 

 slightly but distinctly ribbed. Kind rather thin. Flesh pale green, 

 very melting, sweet and good, with a high musky flavor. Medium sea- 

 son. 



Persian. 



There are several sorts under this name. The best among them has 

 long oval-shaped fruit, with a thin and delicate skin, and flesh quite 

 tender, juicy, rich, and sweet. Medium season. 



Pine-Apple. 



A dark-green oval Melon, of medium size, rough-netted. Flesh 

 thick, firm, j uicy, and sweet. 



Skillman's Fine Netted. 



Earliest of the green-fleshed Melons, small, rough-netted, flattened 

 at the ends. Flesh green, very thick, firm, sugary, and of the most deli- 

 cious flavor. 



White Japan. 

 Comparatively new. Originally from J apan. 



Fruit small to medium, ribbed, sometimes slightly netted, color 

 creamy white. Flesh thick, juicy, sweet, and well-flavored. 



Besides the foregoing there are Winter Melons from the South of 

 Europe, very commonly cultivated in Spain, which, if suspended in a 

 dry room, may be kept till winter. The Green, Valencia, and the 

 Dampsha are the three principal sorts ; they are oval, skin netted, flesh 

 white, sugary, and good. 



CHAPTER XX. 



THE WATER-MELON. 



Cucurbita citrullus, L. Cucurbitacece, of botanists. 

 Pasteur, of the French ; Wasser Melone, German ; Cocomero, Italian. 



The Water-melon is a very popular and generally cultivated fruit 

 .n this country. The vine is a training annual of the most vigorous- 



