M E 



M E 



Note, thefe cannot be joined in the 

 fame Genus. 



Of thefe he fuppofes bat one Spe- 

 cies ; for Inftance, all the Melons 

 are one; the Cucumbers but one; 

 the Water-melons but one ; nor the 

 Bitter Gourd will he allow but one 

 Species : but, from many Years Ex- 

 perience, I have found, that there 

 are diitinct Species of each Genus ; 

 which will conftantly produce the 

 fame from Seeds : tho* I allow, that 

 there are feveral accidental Varieties 

 in each, which vary from Seed. 

 The Characters are ; 



The Flenver confjis of mi Leaf, 

 <ivhich is of the expanded Bell-Jhape, 

 cut into fever al Segments, and exactly 

 like tbofe of the Cu .under : fon:e of 

 thefe Flowers are barren, not adhering 

 to the Embryo : others are fruitful, 

 grooving upon the Embryo, which is 

 afterward changed into a Fruit, for 

 the mojl part of an oval Shape, 

 fmooth or wrinkled, and divided into 

 three feminal apartments, which feem 

 to he cut into two Parts, and contain 

 many oblong Seeds. 

 The Species are ; 



ti Melo vulgaris-. Q. B. P. 

 Common Mufk Melon. 



2. Melo rotundas parvus. C.B.P. 

 Small round Muflc Melon, common- 

 ly called the Portugal or Pocket 

 Melon. 



3. Melo reticulatus. J. B. Net- 

 ted or wrought Melon. 



4. Melo magnus, cortice virente, 

 femine parvo. J. B. Greater Muik 

 Melon, with a fmooth green Skin, 

 and a fmall Seed. 



5. Melon Hifpanicuf, cretic? alio 

 intus rubetitc, White Spanijh Melon, 

 <vulgo. 



6. Melo cortice la?vi intus viren- 

 te. The green- flem'd Melon, -cul- 



7. Melo cortice tuhercfus. C. B. P. 

 fte Cuntiihupz Melon* 



8. Mel 6 aututnnalis, cortice afpt* 

 ro & ftrumofo, dulci pulp a, Z at tat 

 ditfus. Hort.' Pif The Zatta Me- 

 lon. 



9. Melo cortice pilofo. C. B. P. 

 Melon with an hairy Skin. 



to. Melo hybernus fuavis, cor- 

 the flavo. Hort. Pif Winter 

 Melon. 



There are fome other Varieties, 

 which are mentioned in Botanic 

 Books, which are not cultivated for 

 their Fruir, but are preferved as Cu- 

 riofuies in Botanic Gardens ; there- 

 fore I lhall not enumerate them here? 

 for of ihofe here mentioned, there 

 are not above three, which are worth 

 cultivating ; thefe are the fecond, 

 the feventh, and eighth Sorts. 



The fecond Sort was many Years 

 known in the Englifh Gardens, by 

 the Name of King Charles's Pocket 

 Melon, being a fmall round Fruit; 

 it might have received that Name 

 from that Princes having carried one 

 in his Pocket. This came tcEnglanef 

 from Portugal ; but was neglected 

 for many Years, I fuppofe from the 

 Fruit being fmall ; for moftGarden- 

 ers value this Fruit for its Size, and 

 not for the Flavour, efpecially thofe 

 who cultivate them for the Market* 

 fo that if a Melon is but very large, 

 if the Flefti is not eatable, they 

 elteem it; and this has occafionei' 

 fo great Scarcity of thefe Fruits, 

 which are tolerable : for it is not' 

 only k England, but mod Parts of 

 Europe, that from the great QuantK 

 ty of thefe Fruits, which are an* 

 nually raifed, not one in an hun- 

 dred of them are fit to eat ; the ge- 

 nera'ity of Gardeners coveting \ct 

 fave the Seeds from the largeft Fruit, 

 without any regard totheirGoodnefs, 

 The Seeds of this fmall Melon were 

 fince brought to England from Por*- 

 tugalj by General Dwmer - ? there* 1 



