210 
THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
of all vegetables and fruits. Gough, in his Topography, 
says it was grown there in the time of Edward III. (hav¬ 
ing only gone out of cultivation, along with the cucumber, 
during the troubled time of the Wars of the Roses). It 
is generally supposed that the object to which he refers 
was really the pumpkin, which was called the “ melon ” 
by old writers, the fruit to which that name is now re¬ 
stricted having formerly been distinguished by the title 
musk-melon. Most writers think it probable that it was 
really only brought into England from Italy in the time 
of Henry VIII. 
The English cultivators have divided the melons into 
four sections : The thick-skinned ; soon-perishing sorts 
grouped together under the general name of cantaloupes; 
the long-keeping winter melons; Persians and watermel¬ 
ons. The type of the first-enumerated class is supposed 
to be the original old-fashioned musk-melon, character¬ 
ized by the thick network of gray lines over its surface, 
and by possessing but little scent; it varied in size from one 
pound to forty pounds weight, but being so uncertain in 
quality that out of half a dozen fruits but one would per¬ 
haps be found good. This earliest-known sort was al¬ 
most banished from the English gardens on the introduc¬ 
tion of superior kinds. One of the first to supersede it, 
and still one of the most esteemed throughout Europe, 
was the melon which claims, in a more restricted sense, 
as the original owner of that name, the title of the Canta¬ 
loupe, which, according to M. Jacquin, derives its name 
from Cantalo.uppi, a seat belonging to the Pope, situated 
about fifteen miles from Rome, and where this fruit has 
been cultivated ever since the Mithridatic war, having 
been brought, it is said, by Lucullus, in the last century 
B. C., from Armenia to Italy, and thence taken by Charles 
VIII. into France. The earliest description we have of 
it is as follows : “ The melon is usually nearly round, and 
of middling size, though not constant even in these par¬ 
ticulars ; its exterior, always remarkably rough and irreg¬ 
ular, varies much in color, being sometimes green and 
black, or some other variegation, the darkest colors being 
generally preferred, while the flesh also assumes different 
tints, nearly white, orange or pinkish.” The diversity of 
size among melons classed as cantaloupes is very great, 
but all are characterized by a more or less rough and 
thick rind, which considerably reduces the eatable propor¬ 
tion of the fruit. This is particularly noticeable in a for¬ 
eign variety known as Black Rock Melon, which often at¬ 
tains a weight of fourteen pounds, about three-fourths of 
which, however, being composed of a rugged*wall of rind 
studded with carbuncles, and a mass of seeds within, em¬ 
bedded in the fraction of eatable pulp, which is small in 
quantity and poor in quality. 
The citron, or green-fleshed melon, was brought into 
France by a monk from Africa in 1787. It spread from 
there into many '.countries, and numerous varieties have 
been obtained from it. Frederick the Great was so pas¬ 
sionately fond of a small melon of this sort that he could 
not conquer himself sufficiently to abstain from them even 
when his health was in danger, for Zimmermans, who at¬ 
tended him in his last illness, finding him suffering severe¬ 
ly from indigestion, discovered that he ate three or four 
of these fruits daily for breakfast, and on remonstrating 
with him the only reply he could get from the despot was 
an attempt to make them their own apology, by promising 
to send him some the next day that he might taste him¬ 
self how excellent they were. It is to this melon that we 
are indebted for all the green-fleshed varieties we now 
have under cultivation, one of the most popular being the 
“ Hackensack,” which is grown in immense quantities for 
the New York market. 
The melons of Persia have long borne a high character, 
and differ materially from the varieties commonly culti¬ 
vated. They are extremely rich and sweet, and instead of 
the thick rind of the common melons, they have a very 
thin and delicate skin, which makes a fruit of the same 
apparent size contain nearly twice as much edible flesh. 
From this peculiarity they are difficult to handle and 
ship, and they are likewise more difficult of culture, 
requiring a long, warm season to ripen to perfection. 
Thus we have given all that is positively known of the 
history of this class of melons, in distinction from the 
watermelon, which has a history of its own. But this 
does not clearly answer the question, “ What is a Canta¬ 
loupe ? ” Neither can we. Certainly it is not a class name, 
for it is applied to all classes; neither is it a variety name, 
because there are almost an endless number of varieties 
called cantaloupes. Botanically, it is neither a generic 
nor a specific name. Locally, it is applied according to 
custom or fancy; in some parts of our country it is a 
distinctive name, designating the class from watermelons. 
In other parts it applies to melons only that have a pink, 
or salmon-colored flesh, in distinction from the citron or 
green-fleshed melon. .To what melon the name “ Canta¬ 
loupe ” was originally given it is impossible to determine. 
One thing, however, is certain, that if the name was 
originally given to any particular variety, that variety no 
longer exists. Deterioration on the one hand and cross¬ 
fertilization and selection on the other has long since 
supplanted any variety known as long as the cantaloupe, 
with others of an entirely different character. If the 
name was originally applied to any class of melons, 
whether rough skinned or smooth, whether round or ob¬ 
long, large or small, pink fleshed or white, conjecture 
alone must determine, for there is nothing in the history 
of the melon that will solve the mystery. C. L. A. 
Celery. 
HE growing crop should be kept well cultivated, 
clean and free from all weeds, until about the 1st of 
September, when we usually begin to have that moist 
and cool atmosphere which is so essential to the growth 
of celery, and then we can begin the earthing up for the 
blanching and whitening of that portion of the crop 
which is wanted for use during the fall months. 
The first operation, which is termed “handling,” consists 
in drawing the earth firmly with the hoe to each side of 
the celery, so as to keep the leaves in an upright posi¬ 
tion and give them an upward growth, preparatory to 
their being blanched for use. 
In about two weeks after being handled it will be 
ready for banking, which can be done by digging the 
soil from between the rows and laying or banking it up 
to the tops of the stalks with the spade on each side of 
