M E 



M E 



fore fame People call the Melon by 

 his Name. 



The feventh Sort is much prefera- 

 ble to all other ; for when this is 

 properly managed, fcarce one in an 

 hundred of them is bad : this Sort 

 was brought from Armenia, on the 

 Confines near Per/ia, where the 

 belt Melons in the World grow; 

 and there they are in general good, 

 as Dr. Tournefort in his Travels re- 

 lates : and thofe Melons never of- 

 fend the Stomach, but agree with all 

 I Perfons ; and caufe them to grow 

 I fat, who feed upon them : and they 

 have the fame Quality here ; for 

 I Perfons who cannot bear the leatt 

 IPiecc of a common Melon on their 

 (Stomachs, can eat of thefe with Safe- 

 Ity, as I have many times experien- 

 ced. This Sort of Melon has been 

 1 ong cultivated at Cantaitupe, a lit- 

 |:le Diftrid about ten Leagues from 

 I^oCTf, where the Gardeners have 

 | >een very long famous for producing 

 ■ he belt Melons in Italy \ but of 

 I ate Years thofe Gardeners have not 

 jj'een careful in the Choice of their 

 I eeds, whereby they have greatly 

 Regenerated their Melons ; for if 

 Mieir Seeds are not collected from 

 Jie befl: Fruits, they will annually 

 Brow lefs delicate. The Dutch 

 l.ardeners are the moft curious at 

 1 efent in the Cultivation of this 

 Iruit ; which partes, all over Hcl- 

 \nd, by the fimple Name of Canta- 

 mpe, to diltinguifh it from all other 

 "■•rts of Melon : and they are fo 

 ' Ireful in preferving the Kind good, 

 'Inot to plant any other Sort of 

 Belon, Cucumber, or Gourd, near 

 ; Ssfe ; left, by the Impregnation of 

 lr F ar * na °f thofe other, thefe 

 ^■uit mould be rendered bad : and 

 : ' whis Particular, I am convinced 

 \wm ^ on S Experience, they are 

 1-ht : and from the no: obferving 

 *Mp, many Perfons who are Lovers 



of thisFruit have gradua!!ydiminiui- 

 ed their Goodnefs, without know- 

 ing the Caufe ; and have imputed it 

 to the long cultivating from Seeds 

 faved in the fame Garden ; believ- 

 ing it abfolutely neceflary to pro- 

 cure Seeds from a diftant Place fre- 

 quently, to preferve them good : 

 indeed, where a Perfon can fecurely 

 depend on the Care and Skill of 

 thofe he procures the Seeds from, 

 it is a very good Method to ex- 

 change Seeds now-and-then : but 

 there are fo few who are exact in 

 making choice of the Fruits from 

 which they fave the Seeds, or careful 

 enough to do it themfelves, but often 

 depend on others to clean the Seed, 

 that I mould advife every one to do 

 it himfeif ; which is the fure way to 

 have it good : for I have frequent- 

 ly been deceived myfelf, by depend- 

 ing on the Fidelity and Skill of 

 others : nor could I procure any of 

 thefe Seeds from Cantaleupe, which 

 were good, until my much honoured 

 Friend theChevalier &i/£g*£ lent me 

 plentifully of it from thence ; tho' I 

 had often been fupplied with Seeds 

 by Perfons who I thought could not 

 be deceived in their Choice, and 

 who lived near the Place of their 

 Growth. 



The Zatta Melon is greatly 

 efteemed at Florence, and in fome 

 other Parts of Italy. It is a fmail 

 Fruit, rather flat than round ; the 

 two Ends being comprefled : the 

 Skin is rough, generally warted, and 

 deeply furrowed; the Flefh of a 

 red Colour ; but feldom very thick; 

 fo that there is not much Meat ia 

 one of thefe Melons : but as it is 

 generally good, a few of them may 

 be cultivated for the fake of Varie- 

 ty ; but the former is the Sort I 

 would always prefer to every orher. 



As to all the other Sorts which 

 are here mentionsd, they are by no 

 Kkkx means 



