THE MELON. 
C8 1 
tie black, jumping insect, that also rapidly devours its leaves in 
some districts ; while it also gives the young plants a fine start 
in the early part of the season. 
As soon as the runners show the first blossom buds, stop 
them, by pinching out the bud at the extremities. This will 
cause an increased production of lateral shoots, and add to the 
size of the fruit. Nothing more is necessary but to keep the 
surface free from weeds, and to stir the soil lightly with the hoe, 
in field culture. In gardens, thinning the fruit, and placing bits 
of slate, or blackened shingles under each fruit, improve its size 
and flavour. 
To retain a fine sort of melon in perfection, it should be grown 
at some distance from any other sort, or even from any of the 
cucumber family, otherwise the seeds of the next generation ot 
fruit will be spoiled by the mixture of the pollen. 
Varieties . — More than seventy varieties are enumerated in 
the catalogue of the London Horticultural Society’s garden, but 
many of these do not succeed without extra care in this coun- 
try, which their quality is not found to repay. Indeed what is 
popularly known as the Citron melon, one of the finest of the 
green fleshed class, is the greatest favourite with all American 
gardeners. It is high-flavoured, uniformly good, very produc- 
tive, and in all respects adapted to the climate. 
Melons may be divided into three classes — -the Green- Fleshed, 
as the citron, and nutmeg ; Yellow-Fleshed, as the cantelopes ; 
and Persian Melons , with very thin skins and the most melting 
honey-like flesh, of delicious flavour. The Green-Fleshed melons 
are of very rich flavour and roundish form; the Yellow-Fleshed 
are large, usually oval, and of second rate flavour: the Persian 
melon, the finest of all, but yet scarce with us, requiring much 
care in cultivation, and a fine warm season. 
CLASS I. 
Green-Fleshed Melons. 
Citron. — This is much the finest melon for general culture. 
Fruit rather small, roundish, flattened at the end, regularly rib- 
bed and thickly netted ; skin deep green, becoming pale greenish 
yellow at maturity ; rind moderately thick, flesh green, firm, rich, 
and high flavoured. Ripens pretty early and bears a long time. 
Nutmeg. — An old variety, often seen impure, but when in 
perfection, very melting and excellent. Fruit as large again as 
the foregoing, roundish oval ; skin very thickly netted, pale 
green, slightly but distinctly ribbed ; rind rather thin, flesh pale 
green, very melting, sweet and good, with a high musky flavour. 
Medium season. 
