Cantaloupe: Bre:e:ding. 7 
PRACTICAL Te:STS OP TEIp RESISTANT STRAIN. 
Several tests of the rust-resistant strain were made with com¬ 
mercial growers in the vicinity of Rocky Ford, and all the reports 
have been of a flattering nature. Similar tests were also made in 
Illinois and Indiana through the co-operation of the Experiment 
Stations in those states, and the following copies of letters are the 
reports sent in. 
From C. G. Woodbury, Assistant Horticulturist of the Agri¬ 
cultural Experiment Station, Purdue University, Lafayette, In¬ 
diana, under date of August 30, 1907: 
“You remember that you forwarded me somie seed early last spring, 
of your new strain of the rust-resistant Rocky Ford melon. I placed this 
out in several localities in Southern Indiana, w’here the rust is usually 
prevalent, and am very pleased to report that your strain has proven 
to be nearly immune; in one place where there w^as a small patch directly 
across the road from a field which the rust ruined entirely, the vines from 
your seed showed no effects of the disease whatever. To test the matter 
^as severely as possible I had badly affected runners from' the field that 
was dying of the rust cut off and scattered among the plants of the rust- 
resistant strain; even then they became affected only slightly. 
“N^o doubt before this you have had a visit with Professor Orton of 
the Department of Agriculture, and he is able to corroborate my state¬ 
ments, since I had the pleasure of visiting some of the fields with him 
in Southern Indiana a short time ago.’’ 
From John W. Lloyd, of the University of Illinois Agricul¬ 
tural Experiment Station, Urbana, Ill., October 2, 1907: 
“The melon seed you so kindly sent me last spring exceeded my 
highest expectations in reference to rust-resistance under Illinois condi¬ 
tions. I distributed the seed among a number of the commercial growers 
located at different points. Many growers lost or failed to plant the seed 
or did not secure a stand, but with all who succeeded in growing a crop the 
results were the same: The vines remained green and vigorous after other 
melons were dead from the rust; the melons netted exceedingly well and 
were fine flavored. The only objection raised against the melon was its 
late maturity; in some cases the entire crop from other varieties had been 
marketed before any ripe specimens of the rust-resistant could be found. 
It is true that the maturity of the other varieties was hastened by the rust. 
“I believe this melon will be exceptionally valuable for extending 
the season after other varities are gone. However, in our experimental 
plat where the other varieties were protected by spraying and the rust- 
resistant plants left unsprayed, there was not so much difference in the 
time of ripening, though the rust-resistant were somewhat later. Toward 
the end of the season the iinsprayed rust-resistant vines were in better 
condition than the sprayed vines of the other variety. 
“The small lot of exceptionally select seed which you sent was planted 
by itself at a distance from other melons, and the plants thinned to one 
in a hill. There was considerable difference in the rust-resistance of dif¬ 
ferent plants, and I have saved seed from some of the most resistant with 
a view of planting each separately, and making further selection next 
year.’’ 
The results of the investigation have demonstrated the pos¬ 
sibility of controlling, to some extent at least, the injuries from the 
“rust” fungus by systematic seed selection and breeding. 
