JOUBNAL 



OF THE 



Royal Horticultural Society. 



Vol. XX. 1896. 

 Part I. 



MELONS. 

 By Mr. James Barkham, F.B.H.S. 

 [Bead March 10, 1896.] 



The Melon (Cucumis melo), Natural Order Cucurbitacece, is an 

 annual climber where its tendrils meet with support, trailing 

 where this is not the case, and a native of the hottest parts of Asia, 

 and probably also of Africa. It is said to have been carried from 

 Armenia to Borne by Lucullus, and according to M. Jacquin, the 

 Cantaloup varieties were originally brought from the same region 

 by some missionaries to Cantaluppi, a villa belonging to the 

 Pope, and situated a few miles from Borne. Afterwards they 

 were introduced into France in 1495 ; thence they passed into 

 Spain, and from that country into England. In Persia, Melons 

 are exceedingly plentiful, and their cultivation in the open air in 

 the plains of Ispahan and at Bokhara is considered unsurpassed. 

 According to Downing, the climate of the Middle and Southern 

 States of America is remarkably favourable to Melons ; con- 

 sequently they are raised as field crops by market gardeners, 

 who sow the seeds in the open air early in May, and obtain ripe 

 fruit in August. In our climate Melons cannot be successfully 

 grown without artificial heat. 



Hence we have to resort to such means as heated structures 

 for producing early crops, such as properly constructed Melon 



A 



