Bulletin 85. 
6 
ripen prematurely, turning yellow and soft; a loss not uncom¬ 
monly of twenty to forty per cent, in culls, while choice seed 
produces melons that are uniform in size and shape, the netting 
thick and complete, the marketable stage more prolonged, and 
practically no loss in culls. 
The wide reputation of the Rocky Ford cantaloupe has 
created a great demand for Rocky Ford seed, as it is claimed to 
produce a higher grade of cantaloupes than seed from other States, 
and each year large quantities are saved to fill this demand, but 
unfortunately for the industry, the quality of this supply is not 
what it should be ; it is principally produced from the cull piles. 
After frost, at the close of the shipping season, everything 
in the line of a cantaloupe, green or ripe, large or small, is gath¬ 
ered and run through a melon seeder, with no attempt at selection. 
This seed is bought by the jobber and seedsman for ten to 
twenty cents per pound, and when it is on the market it cannot 
be distinguished from well selected seed, and doubtless is sold as 
such. 
There would be nothing to commend such seed to any prac¬ 
tical grower if he realized its source. 
As the seed market has been so abused, to procure good seed 
one must either save it himself, or have seen the melons from 
which it was saved, or purchase it from a reliable grower before it 
has passed through several hands. 
The fact that seed can be had cheap and growers are willing 
to plant it, is an evident reason for its existence on the market, 
but the lack of information as to what constitutes a good seed 
cantaloupe may also be responsible for' poor seed selection. In 
this bulletin we wish to show what a good melon is and that it 
pays to plant and save good seed. 
standard of perfection. 
« 
The form and outward appearance of a perfect Rocky Ford 
cantaloupe is well represented in the several plates shown in this 
bulletin ; as to size, it requires a melon slightly over four inches 
in diameter and about four and five-eighths inches long ; it should 
have silver grey netting that stands out like thick, heavy lace, 
practically covering the entire melon, save the well-defined slate 
colored stripes ; these should run the whole length of the melon 
clear cut as if grooved out with a round chisel, and terminating 
at the blossom end in a small button, well shown in the melon on 
the left side of Plate III. The interstices in the netting should be 
light olive green, that turns slightly yellow when the melon is 
ready for market. A melon with a black skin under the netting 
is not so attractive in appearance. The proper netting is well 
brought out in Plate I. 
