42 
D. M. FERRY & CO'S 
Culture. —Although the finest melons are produced 
on light sandy soil of pure quality, a vigorous start for 
the voung vines is necessary, and for this we need a hill 
of rich earth., similar to that for cucumbers. If very 
large fruit is desired, pick off all but one of the fruit. 
Early Jersey.—One of the earliest varieties grown. 
Above tne medium size, oval-round, dark green, striped 
with lighter shades. Flesh scarlet, solid, fine-grained, 
very sweet and juicy. A most excellent variety, cither 
for market or home use. The rind is quite thin, but it 
bears carriage well 
hnmney's bariy. 
Phinney’s Early.—A valuable variety for near 
market. Vine vigorous and productive, fruiting quite 
early. Flesh pink,' very sweety tender and brittle. 
Rind thin, so that the fruit does not stand carriage well. 
D. M. Ferry & Co’s Peerless 
D. M. Ferry & Co’s Peerless. — This is unques¬ 
tionably the best water melon in cultivation. Of 
medium size, thin rind . light mottled green ; flesh 
bright scarlet , solid to the center, crisp , melting , and 
sweet as honey. Our stock of this variety all came 
from one melon, selected several ’. ears a"o. 
Black Spanish.—Vine small, so that they may be 
planted closer than most sorts. Round, very dark green, 
with scarlet flesh and black seeds. It is not so large as 
some of the other sorts, but has a very thin rind, and a 
rich, sugary flavor. 
Gypsy.—One of the largest varieties, and stands 
shipment long distances better than any other. Fruit 
long, smooth, distinctly striped with mottled light and 
dark green. Flesh bright scarlet, and very sweet. 
Cuban Queen. — Described as one of the largest 
melons known, specimens having been grown that 
weighed eighty-two pounds. Vine vigorous; skin 
striped light and dark green. Rind medium thick, but 
the fruu stands shipment well. Flesh bright red, solid, 
very criso and sugary. 
Long Island.—This is the variety commonly grown 
for New York market, and is either round or long ; flesh 
red : seeds dark grey. 
Mountain Sweet.—A large, long, oval variety; skin 
striped and marbled with different shades of green; flesh 
scarlet, and quite solid to the center ; very sweet and 
delicious. 
Mountain Sprout.—A large, long, striped variety, 
with bright scarlet flesh and drab colored seeds; it dif¬ 
fers from the Mountain Sweet in color and shape, is 
rather late, and will keep longer in the fall. 
Orange. — An oval melon ; skin green . flesh scarlet, 
of good quality, and is peculiar in that the flesh may 
be easily separated from the rind, like an orange. 
Ice Cream.— 
Medium size,scar¬ 
let flesh, and very 
sweet: a good 
variety for main 
crop. 
Chinese Sculp¬ 
tured-Seeded. 
Remarkably early 
and of most deli¬ 
cious flavor. Flesh 
cream c olor; c hell 
light green. The 
seeds are of sin¬ 
gular form. 
Citron —Employed in making preserves . grows uni¬ 
formly round and smooth, striped and marbled with 
light green. Flesh white and solid ; seeds red. 
Citron 
MUSHROOMS. 
The Mushroom is an edible fungus, rounded in form, 
of a white color, changing to brown when old. The 
gills are loose, of a pinkish red, changing to liver color. 
It is used in a variety of culinary preparations, and is 
esteemed a great delicacy. It 
produces no seed, but instead, a 
white, fibrous substance in brok¬ 
en threads, which is prepared 
and preserved in horse manure, 
being pressed in the form of 
bricks. Thus prepared, it will 
retain its vitality for years. The 
little broken pieces of this ma¬ 
nure are planted two inches be¬ 
low the surface, and in due time 
the mushrooms appear. 
Culture. —Mushrooms can be 
grown in the cellar, in sheds, or 
in hot-beds in openair,on shelves, 
or out-of-the-way places. Fer¬ 
mented horse manure, of equal 
temperature, say 70 degrees, is 
made into beds the size required. 
