14 
s 
> 
BULLETIN 1250, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
TaBLE 8.—RFelation of eating quality to composition—Continued. 
TURLOCK, 1921. 











Satisfactory. Doubtful. Not marketable. 
Refrac- F Refrae- : Refrac- e Refrac- 
tive : Su- tive F Su- tive : u- tive F Su- 
index Brix. | crose. | index | BT | crose. | index | BFE: | crose. | index | Br: | crose. 
of juice. of juice. of juice of juice | 
| Per Per Per Per 
| cent. ceni. cent cent. 
65. 0 oa ee ee 50. 5 ch a | eee 52. 0 a () Se Roy, ae ee 47.0 fae ees 
1 OOO fsb = megs ee 61.5 1-2, Sept Se ESE 56. 0 i oi ee eee eee eS 40. 0 fee Sees oS 
60. 0 ip aS bs SS ee ee 61.0 NDEs ae es ees 58. 0 $1561. ee 42.0 y oe ee ee 
65. 0 (635 py Sean ee 56. 0 1 ee eee 53. 0 10-6.- 2-222 440 3 ea Beer ee 
62. 0 Pd Bee BS eee 60. 0 BRS Fo) Eee eS 48.0 Sh as, Pe eae 420.) (0a 
60. 0 1D | eee a 1 AES ey (SS ae Bb 5 1030 31220 44.0 Si. [22 
b.O; Balt a ae P80 4. 9a e ees mo) 1hecS seo 39.0 G5. «poe 
66. 0 i5t 0 Bees 62. 0 | PRY gra) eee S 52. 0 143 Se 40.0 6 
ee eee | PRS 2S hel ee ee 64.0 12S 4 ee oe 0 411.0 12 380 ei 
65. 5 {Rey | Ree ee 62. 0 | A Se (eI oa 50. 0 to, ee 400 | se ES 
59. 5 £220 3 ae eee 64.0 1:0 == 2S 55. 0 FeO. lo aes 45.5) ot 
O50) seu es GL.5 2-3 oe | SO) pee ieee 425 | 8&0 
61.0 [OSS ie | Beers, 54.5 1S lee 47.0 & 6s eee 45.0 7.8 
SS 2a ES ee ae ee 63. 5 1293 ee ee 14> |e IP ae a ee 
ee eee 59. 0 Th 7 AR) pees 50. 5 9.6. |--226 a ee eee 
ee ae fe se |S sp 128 = eee ae O79 j= 22). 4a SS eS eee 
| 2 ae se See | eee eS 62. 0 1 PEL ee| tee. See 47.7 92 2 eee eee 
eee Pipe se So ea a ey eee memeneens Petes fs BO! os 
Singh OS! Ee ae BSA Batt. Rios ee ryee) Pear sss 54.7 10:3: eee ess Se 
S ree ee (5. see Eas BESTS Ee ae SEE 1030) :2 ee | eereeaen 3 es 
Beaks 3 eee Ree eae epee MESES B.O 86 | eee La ee 
gtk a ee ee | 60.4 Bas = 52.0 | 12.0 1 3 42.0 | 7.5 




As the eating quality of the melon improved, the specific gravity 
and refractive index of its juice and the sucrose content increased. 
The refractive index of the juice varied from 33.3 to 70 on the 
immersion refractometer scale. Out of 91 samples of melons listed 
as high in quality, 62 had an index of 60 or more, and none had one 
less than 50.9. Of the samples listed as satisfactory in quality, 83 
per cent had an index of 55 or more. Greater variability is shown in 
the samples listed as doubtful, of which 85 per cent were below 55 
and 71 per cent above 50. The indexes of melons listed as not mar- 
ketable were very low, 92 out of 110 samples being below 50, and 
about half of them having values below 45. 
A similar condition exists with respect to the percentage of sucrose. 
Immature melons showed low values and high-quality melons showed 
high values. All except three of the high-quality samples had a 
sucrose content in excess of 5 per cent. Only four of the doubtful 
group had one as high, and 85 per cent of those in the not-marketable 
class had sucrose contents below 3 per cent. More than 85 per cent 
of the samples of high or satisfactory quality had more than 4 per 
cent of sucrose, while more than 80 per cent of those in the doubtful 
or not-marketable classes had lower sucrose contents. 
The difference in the soluble solids of the juice, while less striking, 
was distinct. Such differences can easily be measured with a Brix 
ecrae a reading of 11.2 being equivalent to a specific gravity of 
about 1.045, whereas values corresponding to 10 and 8.8 are 1.040 
and 1.035, respectively. Readings on the Brix spindle, which can 
be readily digi to 0.1, indicate the percentage of solids in solution 
in the juice. In this test poor-quality melons had low solids con- 
tents and good-quality melons had high solids contents. Of the 
