248 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
[ September 22, 1887, 
Cantaloupe flesh implanted in the rind of 1'ineapple, a greyish coloured 
form of Egyptian, of American origin. 
The only other form of Melon leading up to our present advanced 
forms that need be taken into account is Beechwood, a green fleshed, 
netted, highlv flavoured fruit, originally from Persia. This is the only 
one of the older types that affords two distinct shapes from seed of the 
same fruit. The original as I take it was oval exclusively, netted, but I 
have noticed that it developed by cultivation in the best examples into 
a round fruit, and the seedlings from it were of two forms—viz., oval, 
somewhat quartered and irregular in outline, little and coarsely netted, 
which I consider the type from which sprang Eastnor Castle; and the 
other round, very finely netted, with a somewhat firm yet melting and 
hi-ihly flavoured flesh, which I consider the type from which sprang the 
round and bluntly oval kinds with highly or regularly laced and even 
i.e., not ribbed surfaces. Meredith’s Cashmere has contributed very 
little to our present race of Melons, except in one notable instance, 
which will be alluded to presently, its slight ribs and moderate netting 
not being traceable in any except Golden Gem. 
There is no kind of fruit amongst which cross-fertilisation is naturally 
or artificially so readily effected and new varieties produced than 
amongst Melons. The improvement extends but a few seasons beyond 
that of origination, and that chiefly from discontinuance of cross-fer¬ 
tilisation of the individual kind, and less care in selection. Cross-fer¬ 
tilisation is culturally very desirable for the attainment of high quality ; 
but it is one thing cross-fertilising with a view to enhancing the value 
of the current crop, and another altogether when the aim is seed for con¬ 
tinuing the variety, and no r gard is had to the descent of the parents. 
Crossing with any kind at hand, and for the mere sake of. the thing, is 
more likely to further deterioration than improvement ; in fact, mon¬ 
grels result that discredit the raiser and grower and disgust the con¬ 
sumer. Not that new varieties surpassing the old may not be obtained 
by random crossing, but it is all chance. Some have points of great ex¬ 
cellence. Those should be retained whereby to test new ones, conse¬ 
quently maintaining a high standard. Of that class are Blenheim 
Orange and Benham Beauty of the early or Cantaloupe type, which, 
though having an Egyptian exterior, are in flesh decidedly Cantaloupe. 
William Tillery may be taken as the nearest to the high quality of the 
Egyptian. Of the mixed types and without ribs but finely or beauti¬ 
fully netted, the white lacing on the yellow ground of some being 
exquisite are Best of All, Hero of Lockinge, and Colston Bassett. Of 
Persian, Meredith’s Cashmere; of the Bromham Hall ty pe, Gilbert’s 
Victory of Bath. Eastnor Castle may be taken as representative of the 
Beechwood, and Golden Gem of the mixed race, in which the flesh of 
the Persian is implanted. 
There is perhaps as good or even better varieties than those named. 
Every raiser of course will have a pet. I have had no end of them ; in¬ 
deed, have some pedigree sorts which are an amalgamation of most sorts 
sent out up to 1885, and in the seed packets where thev are likely to 
remain, for if anjone wants a mongrel lot of Melons, variety with and 
without merit, I can strongly advise in-and-in-breeding, and as safely 
point to distinct and high quality sorts only being secured by judicious 
crossing and painstaking selection along with comparison with standard 
high-class kinds. I may give an example in Melon crossing, and premise 
that Beechwood in the round, not ribbed, but highly netted form, was 
crossed with Read’s Scarlet-flesh, which resulted in two forms, a green 
and scarlet flesh ; the first good in flavour, the latter poor. The green- 
flesh was selected and named North Durham, which was crossed with 
Victory of Bath. That gave a green-flesh, round sparingly netted fruit, 
very heavy, but not particularly rich. It was named North York. That 
I crossed with William Tillery, and procured an oval, also a round- 
fruited variety. Both were very inconstant; the oval would give both 
forms, and the round likewise. The fruit in either case was ribbed with 
a wide suture in the young state, ereen in colour with grey in the suture, 
but the ripe fruit showed very little of the ribs or suture, being in well- 
grown examples rot mdant in outline, and very much and evenly netted, 
flesh green, very rich, even to cloyishness. By careful selection the fruit 
has become round or the deviations are very bluntly oval. It is early 
and a good late variety, also an excellent summer variety in frames. I 
have named it J. Wright, as complimentary to a connoisseur of Melons. 
Beechwood x Victory of Bath resulted in Eastnor Castle by 
Mr. Coleman, which gave two forms—a round or very bluntly oval 
well-netted fruit, and an oval, slightly ribbed, and sparsely and 
irregularly netted fruit. The first is a very fine fruit indeed, with a 
thick, melting, rich, green flesh ; the second is a coarse fruit, with 
plenty of coarse flesh, which soon parts with its sweetness. The latter 
form is not worth growing, and the first is only continued by very 
careful selection. Eastnor Castle variations gave rise to Earl of 
Beaconsfield, and Dell’s. I omit the “ hybrid ” as there is not a particle 
of that in any of them, the materials being cross-breeds. Now I must 
offer some remarks on Hybrid Cashmere (Meredith’s), which I take to be 
a cross bred between Ispahan and Keising, the former being late, and 
the latter a rather early netted variety. Perhaps some correspondent 
can give precise information on this point. Cashmere (Meredith’s) is 
oval, slightly ribbed (lost in highly developed examples), yellow, flesh 
white. It is slightly netted, it being very fine or small. When well 
grown it has not,perhaps, any rival for delicacy, juiciness, and excellency 
of flavour. It is an old variety, b.,t not so old as Beechwood, both of 
Persian origin. I mention those particulars, for we come to something 
very remarkable in crossing, as presented in Long 1 eat Perfection. 
Mr. W. Taylor brought Cashmere to great perfection at Longleat by 
high culture, and no doubt careful selection. There is no question of 
Eastnor Castle being equally well cared for by Mr. Pratt, both as 
regards cultivation and selection. We have seen Beechwood x 
Victory of Bath result in Eastnor Castle’s variable forms, and Eastnor 
Castle crossed with Meredith’s Cashmere gave Longleat Perfection, which 
is of two forms—one very bluntly oval, and pointed oval. The bluntly 
oval is ribbed, with a wide well defined suture ; the pointed oval is also 
ribbed with a small suture, and is evidently after the coarse form ot 
Eastnor Castle before alluded to, and though a large is not nearly so 
desirable a form as the other. When swelling the bluntly oval fruit is 
green on the ribs, turning grey toward the suture, which is quite grey, 
almost silvery, and handsome ; indeed the greyness in the young fruit is 
characteristic of high quality in the mature—instance, Egyptian and 
Pineapple, but when ripe the ribs are a lovely yellow, and the suture is, 
as it might appear, a strip of lovelier green marking the divisions, 
giving a handsome appearance. It is smooth skinned, very thin, flesh 
thick, white, delicate, highly melting, very juicy, luscious, in every 
respect exquisite. The plant is of excellent constitution, and it is a free- 
setter, good alike for house or frame culture. _ _ 
Scarlet Premier has an unmistakeable Persian skin, with the close¬ 
netting of the Cashmere, bluntly oval, very even in surface, ami re¬ 
markably handsome, being of a deep yellow or orange colour. The flesh 
is scarlet and as rich as Scarlet Gem. I do not know anything of the 
origin of this superb fruit, only that it was originated by the very suc¬ 
cessful fruit grower and exhibitor, especially Melons, Mr. Mclndoe, than 
whom I know none more skilled and experienced, and who will perhaps- 
enlighten us. Scarlet Premier’s aroma is exquisite. 
Those three—J. Wright, Longleat Perfection, and Scarlet Premier— 
are my selections for future work. The two last have, very valuable 
properties—viz., beauty, quality, and, best of all, keeping. Longleat 
will keep a fortnight and Scarlet Premier three weeks without any 
deterioration of quality, only they must of course be cut before they aie- 
fullyripe, or rather under, allowing them to come on in a cool fruit room. 
Last year Mr. Eastv wrote flatteringly of a variety of my raising— 
viz., W. Iggulden or Earl of Beaconfield X North Durham (Beechwood 
X Read’s), a round, ribbed, deep sutured, netted, green-fleshed fruit, m 
all points except flesh corresponding to Little Heath, keeping well, and 
likely to prove a good market fruit. If Mr. Easty has the variety an¬ 
swering to the above description I should be glad to exchange a few 
seeds of it for J. Wright through the Editor. 
I request leave in conclusion to ask raisers of Melons not to be 
angered at anything advanced, which is purely my impression in respect 
of varieties as I have found them, and not biassed by any motive other 
than to see a departure from the stereotyped forms that at present 
obtain through in-and-in crossing, and to, if possible, make the standard 
higher, thereby closing the door against those with nothing to recom¬ 
mend them save their variableness and deteriorating tendency.— 
G. Abbey. 
A JUBILEE CARPET BED. 
If it be not yet too late to speak of the Jubilee, I think your readers 
may be pleased to have a description of one of the most unique and 
effective horticultural mementos of this kind we have seen, and which 'A 
just now in full beauty in the terrace gardens at the very beautiful seat 
of Mrs. Pike at Besborough, Co. Cork. 
This dainty little piece of garden painting is in the form of a parterre 
picked out in the grass, showing a rectangular bed of some 16 feet ill 
length by about 6 feet in width. By a judicious selection and careful 
planting in their proper season of sundry dwarf-growing flower and 
foliage plants, it is so arranged as to present to the eye a device contain¬ 
ing the British Ensign in duplicate, the two dates commemorated, the 
Queen’s cypher, and a Crown. The enclosed sketch (fig. 31) may serve 
to give an idea of its peculiar attractions. It must be seen to be fully 
appreciated. It may, however, further help to realise the effect pro¬ 
duced if I give the following particulars :— 
It is fringed with an 8-inch border of Sedum glaucum ; the principal 
space is filled in with a dark green ground of Herniaria glabra. In this 
ground are laid out crosswise the representations of the British flag. The 
staff is lined out with Alternanthera paronychioides aurea, and the 
endgn itself «ith Alternanthera magnifica, with a ground of Antennaria 
tomentosa, picked out in the small diamonds with Kleinia repen*. 
Between the two ensigns on the upper side is the Crown in the centre 
marked out with Spergula pilifera aurea and emblazoned or jewelled 
with Lobelia pumila magnifica. On either side the Crown are the dates 
1837 and 1887 formed of the little dwarf Arabis lucida variegata, the 
initials V. R. being outlined with Alternanthera magnifica ; the whole 
forming a Unit ensemble of a singularly charming character, and 
reflecting very great credit on the professional skill of the painstaking 
and accomplished gardener at Besborough, Mr. Beswick. 
It would have given additional interest in the Journal of Horticulture 
if I had been able to make a fuller allusion to the various features of the 
gardens and grounds under his care. Suffice it to say the vineries are 
in almost perfect condition, one of them representing a splendid show of 
