By Mr. John Lindley. 



555 



copious ventilation and high temperature by means of fre- 

 quently renewed linings of hot dung, and to elevate each 

 fruit a few inches above the soil by means of a slate laid 

 upon two bricks placed side by side. 



In the following descriptions I have arranged the sorts 

 according to their degree of excellence, placing those first 

 which are of the most perfect quality, and those at the end 

 of the list which are of more doubtful merit. But upon this 

 subject we are at present far from accurately informed. It 

 has been lately understood from Mr. Willock, that some of 

 the kinds now described are winter melons, which require 

 keeping for some months before they are fit for table ; a cir- 

 cumstance with which we were not made acquainted in suffi- 

 cient time to ascertain which of the varieties, now about to 

 be mentioned, are of that description. It is probable, that 

 the Kurchaing and Goorgab Melons, the quality of which has 

 been found to be very indifferent, as summer fruit, may 

 acquire their flavour if treated as winter kinds. All the 

 varieties are essentially distinct from the few Persian Melons 

 hitherto known to England. 



I. The Melon of Keiseng. 



A beautiful egg-shaped fruit, eight inches long, five inches 

 wide in the middle, six inches wide at the lower extremity, 

 very regularly and handsomely formed. Colour of a pale 

 lemon yellow; if carefully examined, evenly and minutely 

 speckled with paler dots; finely and regularly netted all 

 over, with a few cracks lengthwise ; the meshes of the reticu- 

 lation closer towards the base than at the apex. Stalk about 



vol. vi. 4 C 



