Cantaloupe Seed. 
7 
But the outward appearance is not the only basis for selec¬ 
tion in saving seed ; the inside points are as essential to consider 
as any external quality, and no one can determine that a melon is 
fit for seed until it has been cut open and the inside qualities ex¬ 
amined ; for this reason the machine seeder is of no use in select¬ 
ing choice seed ; the melons should all be cut and examined by 
hand. 
The flesh should be thick and firm, of a smooth texture, and 
free from watery appearance, rich and melting in flavor. The 
shipping and keeping qualities depend largely on the solidity of 
the melon, so the seed cavity should be small and perfectly filled 
with seed. The color of the flesh near the rind should be dark 
green, shading lighter toward the seed cavity, which should be 
salmon or orange in color. The flesh is often mottled with sal¬ 
mon, and not uncommonly the entire flesh is of that color. The 
flavor is usually quite uniform, though it is sometimes affected by 
the health of the vines or other conditions of growth. 
The seed will bear close inspection, as it is sometimes 
cracked or sprouted, which renders it of no value for germination. 
The first steps in seed selection should be made when the 
melons are growing. Extra prolific hills should be marked with 
stakes, and the earliest ripening specimens conforming to the 
above ideal should be saved as choice seed, and planted in a place 
isolated from other melons, and the same care should be exercised 
in the years that follow. 
The grower can and should save his own seed, as he can give 
it more careful attention than any commercial seed grower. 
A few growers, realizing the importance of systematic selec¬ 
tion, have made the proper choice of seed for their own use. 
As an illustration of what can be done m this line, the plates 
shown in this bulletin represent photographs of melons developed 
after five years of careful seed selection. Beginning with a 
melon as nearly perfect as could be found, the old saying that 
u like produces like ” has been exemplified to a marked degree. 
Each year the number of perfect melons has increased, so that 
now, when soil, fertility and all growing conditions are favorable, 
the over-sized melons are eliminated ; all melons are completely 
netted, and practically all are marketable. 
Plates II. and IV. represent an average product of the 
choicest of this seed. 
Improvement is still possible, yet the value of careful seed 
selection has been so demonstrated that if melon growers would 
adhere to a strict selection of perfect, early-ripening melons, not 
only would the returns from the melon crop be increased, but the 
cantaloupe would become a more staple article by virtue of its 
improved shipping and keeping qualities. 
