31 JOUKNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



' Yaffaoui,' which is a plain light-green fruit with a red flesh of excellent 

 flavour. Almost all the varieties have oblong forms in addition to the 

 ordinary shapes. These elongated forms are distinguished by the name 

 of ' nims ' (ichneumon) and are spoken of as 'beledi nims,' ' saidi nims,' 

 &c. Of yellow-fleshed water melons, two distinct varieties are cultivated, 

 viz. the ' hegazy ' and the ' Stambouly.' The latter is somewhat rare. 

 Both are thin-skinned fruits of excellent flavour. The ' abou-hazam ' is a 

 variety in which the flesh is rose-coloured in the centre and yellow next 

 the skin. A white-fleshed water melon exists in Upper Egypt, but I have 

 not seen this. 



The cucumbers constitute another crop of importance in Egypt. Of 

 the ordinary cucumber (Cucumis sativus) only one variety is grown. It 

 is a strong-growing plant, with fruits about 25 cm. long at maturity. 

 They are, however, always gathered when small, and in this state the 

 flesh is crisp and of excellent flavour. In Arabic this cucumber is known 

 as ' khiyar.' The snake cucumber (C. flexuosus, L.), although not of the 

 same importance as the common cucumber, is, however, grown on a large 

 scale. In habit of growth and general appearance it resembles a melon 

 plant. It produces cylindrical twisted fruits about 50 cm. long. They 

 are light blotched with dark green, and covered with soft woolly hairs. 

 This is the 1 fakus ' of the Arabs. It is not gathered until it has attained 

 a large size, when it is consumed as a salad chiefly by the natives. The 

 hairy cucumber (C. pubesccns, Willd.) is another plant which resembles 

 the melon, but the leaves are covered with short prickly hairs. It is 

 known as ' quattah firany ' in Arabic. The fruits are cylindrical, generally 

 straight, and about 25 cm. long when full grown. The skin is white, 

 light green, or dark and light green mottled. It is covered with soft 

 hairs and often striated with depressed lines. The fruits are gathered 

 when small and eaten as a salad, or stuffed with meat and rice and after- 

 wards cooked. ' 



Of the genus Cucurbita the most important plants in Egypt are the 

 vegetable marrows. These are in the market at almost all times of the 

 year. The varieties most commonly grown are (1) a green bush marrow 

 known as ' cosa Skandarani ' and (2) a running variety with white fruit 

 known as ' cosa beda.' As in the case of cucumbers, the fruits of 

 vegetable marrows are always gathered when quite small. Apart from 

 the vegetable marrows, the only plant belonging to Cucurbita Pepo culti- 

 vated by the fellaheen is a large globular pumpkin called ' qara magreby.' 

 The fruit attains a diameter of about 35 cm., and a weight of 10 kilos. 

 The flesh is white, and when cooked with rice and meat forms an agree- 

 able dish. 



This plant, however, is not so common as the Naples Gourd or ' qara 

 Stambouly ' (C. moschata), which is grown in all situations, with or 

 without irrigation. The flesh is somewhat dry, of a pale orange colour, 

 rather sweet when ripe, and slightly scented. As the fruit keeps in good 

 condition for six months or more it is in use at all seasons. In addition 

 to the ordinary variety, which has an elongated fruit constricted in the 

 centre, a form with globular fruits is sometimes met with. 



The mammoth pumpkins — C. maxima — are grown to a very small 

 extent in Egypt. That most frequently seen is somewhat oval in shape, 



