February 25, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
149 
wood crossed with Read’s Scarlet-flesh gave a round coarsely netted 
scarlet-fleshed fruit, and a green flesh even more coarsely netted, 
neither having any quality of note. Beechwood X Read’s Scarlet- 
flesh x Victory of Bath gave several forms, one a round fruit, 
closely and evenly netted, flesh green, rich and good, very free 
bearing, and hardy constitution. This I named North Durham 
(Seedling No. 1), and sent fruit to the Fruit Committee ; but it was 
passed, therefore I suppose worthless, though it was liked better than 
any named sort by my employers and their friends. I have flattering 
accounts of it from those to whom I have given seeds, and I still find 
it unequalled as a green flesh of handsome appearance, pleasing 
quality, free cropping, and healthiness of plant for frame culture. 
Beechwood x Read’s x Victory of Bath x William Tillery gave 
a bluntly oval fruit, slightly ribbed, banded or quartered like 
Egyptian, finely netted, very handsome, flesh green and highly 
flavoured, even to cloyishness ; and though free in growth and 
setting, it is tender, being very susceptible to damp,and subject to 
exudation from the whole plant and fruit, a peculiar characteristic of 
the Cashmere, Afghan, and Ispahan Melons. The bands between 
the ribs are greyish or silvery green, as in Egyptian. It requires dry 
or house culture, being unsuitable for moist or frame culture. This 
I named J. Wright (No. 3 Seedling), from his known preference for 
Beechwood, it clearly being an amalgam of Persian and Egyptian 
Melons. 
I crossed Golden Gem with Read’s Scarlet-flesh, and obtained a 
very beautiful fruit, bright gold in colour, the white netting being 
very much more decided than in Golden Gem. Flesh salmon, flavour 
poor in summer, but in autumn rich. Though both the parents were 
round the fruit is oval in shape, like Ispahan. It is very decided in 
character, and is a reversion on the female or Golden Gem side 
towards the original, Golden Gem by its exudations alike from plant, 
and fruit being of Cashmerian origin. It also gave a variety with 
white flesh. With a view to obtaining a hardy-constitutioned Melon 
I crossed Little Heath (which, though a much-abused variety, is very 
serviceable for cold frame culture) with Beechwood, in view of a 
green flesh, with the hardy character of Little Heath, with a satis¬ 
factory result; but those not caring for Little Heath would not take 
to this, as the quality is not high as compared with some other 
varieties, though when well ripened I have found both Little Heath 
and the cross-bred seedling from it excellent. 
Earl of Beaconsfield, a sorry edition of that mongrel Netted 
Victory, both remarkable for the absence of netting, and having a 
coarse soft flesh, I crossed with North Durham, and have a large, 
round, ribbed fruit, heavily netted, flesh green and highly flavoured. 
It is a very free, early, and continuou shearer, doing well under frame 
treatment. It ought to make a good market sort. I named it W. 
Iggulden (Seedling No. 6), out of compliment to his expressed liking 
for a netted Victory of Bath. The ribs are those of Bromham Hall, 
and its grey bands are Egyptian, though there is none of its blood in 
the parentage, but I conjecture Bromham Hall resulted from crossing 
Cantaloup with Egyptian. 
Beechwood X Golden Perfection (still one of the very best 
Melons) resulted in an oval, coarsely netted, green flesh, of high 
flavour. Pine Apple x Osmaston Manor gave a scarlet fleslq very 
solid, high flavour, finely netted fruit. Pine Apple X Eastnor 
afforded a green flesh, high quality, very slightly netted fruit ; this 
I crossed with North Durham so as to secure a well-netted handsomer 
fruit. Eastnor Castle x Exquisite presented a green flesh, as might 
be expected, of very high flavour. Blunsdon Abbey x Pine Apple 
X Eastnor Castle gave a bluntly oval fruit, sparsely netted, and 
sweet. I mention these as I shall refer to them again presently ; but 
to continue it is necessary to state that I at one time grew Moreton 
Hall, a small bluntly oval fruit, red flesh, very solid, and when well 
ripened excellent flavoured ; but it cracked fearfully, and to cure this 
crossed with Ferme’s Seedling and Oulton Park. I did not like the 
result of the Ferme Seedling, but the Oulton Park gave a fruit that 
did not crack, and was very closely netted. The seeds were brought 
out day after day through the fruit, surpassing all others in quality. 
1 named it Grinkle, yet it being so small, scarcely a pound weight, 
it was crossed with Colston BasSett, still one of the very best, and 
had a bluntly oval fruit, coarsely netted, in both scarlet and green 
flesh, and indifferent flavour. The green, or rather white, flesh being 
selected it was crossed with Golden Gem, having a beautiful-looking 
fruit, gold, covered with white netting, and a flesh first green next 
the rind, then pink, and white next the core—seed cavity pink. It 
was of no flavour, therefore crossed it with Exquisite, which resulted 
in a round or very blunt oval, coarsely netted, heavy fruit— i.e., for 
its size, 2 to 3 lbs., flesh green, firm, melting, and very rich. I 
named it North York (Seedling No. 2), but nobody liked it, evidence 
of my peculiar taste in Melons at least, for I do not find it 
differ from other fruits. Moreton Hall X Oulton Park X Colston 
Bassett x Golden Gem x Beechwood has a small fruit; flesh white, 
tinged with pink. Moreton Hall, up to and including Golden Gera 
X Pine Apple x Eastnor Castle, furnished a well-netted green flesh 
of high flavour. 
I come to an amalgamation of North Durham x North York, 
green flesh, solid, 2 to 3 lbs., coarsely netted, round, named Our 
Journal (Seedling No. 4) ; Pine Apple x Osmaston Manor x North 
York (Seedling No. 7) ; female North Durham x male Pine Apple 
X Eastnor Castle (Seedling No. 8); female Osmaston Manor x 
Pine Apple X male Pine Apple x Eastnor Castle (Seedling No. 9); 
female Pine Apple X Eastnor Castle x male North Durham (Seed¬ 
ling No. 11). The three last it will be obvious to get size in com¬ 
bination with quality, and to get quality, irrespective of appearance; 
female Blunsdon Abbey x Pine Apple x Eastnor Castle x male 
North York (Seedling No. 12). I do not suppose anybody would care 
to grow any of these, and if inclined to follow such a sj^stem of 
in-and-in-breeding I advisedly say “don’t.” True we get capital 
varieties always, but no reliance can be placed on any of them, 
though by selection of those most constant in character something 
may result with a continuance true to character. The best that can 
be said of them is “ very interesting to growers of their own Melons.” 
Golden Queen x Moreton Hall to Golden Gem inclusive (Seedling 
No. 10) as might be expected is very variable. 
To give stamina to J. Wright as a frame Melon I crossed it with 
North Durham (resulting in Seedling No. 5), also with High Cross, 
as there is no difficulty in getting quality in hot-water-heated 
structures ; but in frames it is very different, so much being 
dependent on the weather at the time of ripening. Though we have 
some very excellent varieties in scarlet flesh, none of them has given 
anything like the same satisfaction as green-flesh Melons ; and as I 
consider High Cross is one of the very finest, taking size, appearance, 
quality, free bearing, and constitution into consideration, I crossed it 
with Blenheim Orange, resulting in a scarlet flesh (Seedling No. 13), 
the counterpiece of High Cross, having the advantage^ of ripening 
early. I sent fruit to the Fruit Committee in 1884, and was told 
“ the Committee did not think it distinct from other varieties in 
cultivation to merit a certificate.” Perhaps not ; but it is distinct 
enough to fetch Is. more each in Covent Garden Market than any 
other Melon sent there by a grower for sale ; and as it gives quite as 
many fruits in the space of other plants, it means 4s. to 6s. per 
light more—a consideration that tells with growers. It will, I think, 
suit our friend Mr. Iggulden, especially as he is not pleased with 
scarlet-flesh varieties so far, and it will keep several days without 
deterioration, having a hard rind, therefore not constantly giving 
off aroma and flavour with it as in the soft-rinded varieties. To get 
at a keeping Melon I crossed Serdar (an African) with North Durham, 
and have a large bluntly oval fruit, which will keep three weeks ; 
but the flavour is poor, though some say it is excellent. It is too 
large for general culture, and crossed with Cashmere might be 
rendered presentable at an aldermanic dinner. It is constitutionally 
tender, given to exudation and canker. I have worked with other 
material, but the result was neither interesting nor desirable. Of 
varieties that I have not grown, though seen growing, Hero of Lock- 
inge appeared an excellent sort. Were I to take to growing named 
sorts I should select °Eastnor Castle, Golden Perfection, and High 
Cross in green flesh ; ®Blenheim Orange, Read’s Scarlet-flesh, and 
Scarlet Premier. If only one kind of each were wanted select those 
distinguished by a star, but if large fruit of Blenheim Orange is 
wanted the plants must not be allowed fruit on the first laterals, 
getting a strong plant, and thinning to three or four fruits on a plant. 
Not many of the present race of Melons are directly descended 
from Egyptian. Bailey’s Green-flesh was decidedly of that type, 
being in fact an enlarged edition, and a most superb kind it were, 
better far in flavour than any green-flesh now in existence. The 
only one at all like it is The Squire, which, however, appears to have 
lost in quality with the gain in size. Another form of Melon which 
appears to be losing favour is that represented by Heckfield and 
Queen Emma, both of which are of large size, very highly perfumed, 
and excellent quality. They have capital constitutions and are very 
free. Considering their firmness of flesh, I think it likely that 
crossed with a hard-rinded variety a keeping sort would in all proba¬ 
bility result. 
There is one other desideratum, and very much overlooked in tke 
raising of varieties—viz., the obtaining of those with hardier consti¬ 
tutions. Little Heath is the hardiest I know in scarlet-flesh and 
Dell’s in green-flesh. The plant is very healthy, the foliage small in 
relation to the size of the fruit, free setters, and swelling kindly ; 
perfection as regards fruiting. Royal Horticultural Prize, green- 
flesh, and Duke of Edinburgh, scarlet-flesh, also are very free and 
hardy constitutions, but though the type is clearly defined in Little 
Heath and Duke of Edinburgh, which is certainly Cantaloup, I cannot 
make out Horticultural Prize or Dell’s only to having some of blood 
of the pointed oval smooth form of Beechwood. Anyway, there is 
raw material for the manufacture of a fine fabric, only the constitu¬ 
tional properties can be retained. 
