COMPOSITION AND MATURITY OF CANTALOUPES. i rk 
Judging by the refractive index, the melons with waxy stems were 
riper than those with green stem bases. In 1918 and 1919, attempts 
were made to use this distinction as a picking standard by which 
satisfactory. melons could be selected and unsatisfactory melons 
discarded. Although it failed of its purpose in this respect, seeds 
from melons with waxy stems gave a distinctly weaker starch test, 
ae they were more mature, and thus confirming the results in 
able 9. 
Even if this method gave dependable results, however, it probably 
could not be applied under field conditions. It would be impracti- 
cable for the picker to examine the melons closely enough to note 
this difference. 
COLOR OF GROUND SPOT. 
The relation between maturity, as judged by the refractive index, 
and the color of the spot on the melon where it rests upon the ground 
was determined. Melons with white or yellow ground spots were 
riper than those with greenish ground spots. There were many ex- 
ceptions, however, fully half of the green-spot melons being mature 
and some of the yellow-spot melons immature. [Furthermore, the 
method could not be used under field conditions. 
WATER LINE ON NETTING. 
A distinct crease, termed the water line, was found on top of the 
netting of some melons. This crease was indistinct or absent on the 
netting of other melons. The refractive indexes of melons classified 
on this basis were measured. 
While a correlation between maturity and the appearance of this 
crease on the netting exists, at least one-fourth of the melons with 
faint water lines were probably not suitable for market, and about 
half of those listed as medium only in this respect were of good 
quality. The appearance of the water line on the netting would 
probably not be a dependable basis for judging maturity. 1t would 
be of some value, however, to an inspector in sorting out and elimi- 
nating immature melons at the packing bench. | 
SEPARATION OF HALF-SLIP MELONS INTO GROUPS BY EXTERNAL APPEARANCE. 
The data in Table 4 show that half-slip melons form a variable 
group, containing both mature and immature fruit. Some are satis- 
factory in eating quality but others are so immature as to be entirely 
unfit for marketing. 
It seemed desirable to determine whether it would be possible to 
separate half slips into groups by the external appearance. Half- 
slip melons were taken from commercially packed crates or from the 
general field run of melons. No effort was made to select specially 
good or poor melons for this purpose, but all half shps were taken 
without sorting and all melons thus selected were used. They were 
classified into two groups, satisfactory and unsatisfactory, mainly 
on the basis of the development of the netting—whether the nettin 
was well raised and well rounded. The other characteristics note 
in Table 9 were also taken into. account. The melons were then 
marked with a blue pencil to indicate the class in which they had 
been placed. Some of them were cut at once and a decision was 
