72 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  22, 1897. 
This  is  probably  the  type  parent  of  the  Persian  Melons,  and  a 
native  of  India. 
7,  Dudaim  (Cucnmis  Melo  var.  Dudaim). — Fruit  about  the  size 
of  a  small  Orange,  flattened  like  one  at  the  ends,  very  regular  in 
form,  and  beautifully  marked  with  longitudinal  bands  of  yellow, 
interposed  with  marbling  of  cinnamon-brown.  The  handsomest 
Melon  and  the  most  powerfully  scented,  a  single  fruit  scenting  a 
large  room.  There  it  ends,  as  the  fruit  is  not  edible.  It  is  the  well- 
known  Queen  Anne’s  Pocket  Melon. 
8,  Chito  (Cucumis  Melo  var.  Chito). — This  is  the  Orange  or 
Lemon  Melon,  as  the  shape  or  colour  may  be,  without  markings 
and  next  to  no  odour.  Its  flesh  is  white  or  pale  yellow,  and  about 
as  useless  as  that  of  a  ripe  Cucumber. 
9,  Bed  Persian  (Cucumis  Melo  var.  erythraceus). — The  true 
Persian,  or  rather  red  type  ;  fruit  long,  somewhat  intermediate  in 
form  between  a  knobby-ended  Cucumber  and  a  Vegetable  Marrow. 
Whether  the  green  and  white  are  mere  forms  I  cannot  gather  from 
Naudin,  but  there  are  manifestly  only  three  distinct  types,  and  all 
originated  in  India  or  adjacent  parU  of  Asia. 
The  Cantaloupes  were  early  in  the  century  distinguished  as 
Early,  Netted,  and  Rock,  and  out  of  these  issued  the  Nutmeg  and 
Sugar  forms.  Egyptian  may  have  only  been  a  form  of  Cantaloupe, 
but  crossed  with  Persian  we  get  Egyptian  from  Cantaloupe  without 
so  much  rib,  and  following  it  up  get  out  of  ribs  altogether.  In 
reverse  order  Egyptian  or  Persian  give  the  riba  back  again,  and  so 
we  might  go  on  indefinitely  until  we  come  to  but  three  forms — 
(1)  Cantaloupe,  (2)  Egyptian,  and  (3)  Persian. 
That  is  all  I  can  make  out  in  British  Melons,  and  they  have 
been  so  crossed  and  intercrossed  as  to  be  scarcely  distinguishable, 
while  some  are  all  three  in  one,  and  as  variable  as  the  generations. 
Hence  neither  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Fruit  Committee 
nor  anybody  else  can  find  anything  distinct  about  Melons,  one  taste 
or  quality  militating  against  the  other,  and  they  escape  doing 
anything,  as  the  fruit  is  wholly  divided  against  itself. 
Surely  it  is  high  time  that  distinctness  should  be  a  decisive  aim 
in  Melon  crossing,  keeping  as  near  to  type  and  as  far  as  possible 
seeking  to  have  fruit  of  as  clearly  defined  character  as  practicable. 
The  whole  system  of  crossing  seems  to  be  running  riot  in  other 
fruits  as  well  as  Melons,  and  cbrtainly  not  for  the  better,  but  worse 
in  some  cases.  What  present  day  Melon  has  the  quality  of 
Turner’s  Scarlet  Flesh  ?  In  which  is  the  juiciness  and  lusciousness 
of  Egyptian  ?  And  where  may  be  found  the  delicate  flesh  and 
agreeable  taste  without  after-coming  of.  the  old  white-fleshed 
Persian? — G.  Abbey. 
VEITCH  MEDALLISTS  OF  1897. 
The  following  awards  of  Medals  of  Honour  have  been  made  by  the 
Veitch  Trustees.  Circumstances  have  this  year  prevented  the  attendance 
of  the  recipients  in  person,  and  the  medals  have  accordingly  been  sent  to 
them. 
Noemah  C.  Cookson  in  recognition  of  his  great  success  in  the 
hybridisation  of  Orchids.  Among  the  earlier  acquisitions,  mention  may 
be  made  of  Cypripedium  lo,  C.  Godseffiannm,  C.  nitidissimum,  and 
C.  Sanderse  superbiens,  still  highly  appreciated.  Besides  these,  some 
of  the  finest  hybrid  Cypripediums  obtained  by  other  operators  as  C. 
Calypso,  C.  Morganiae,  C.  cardinale,  C.  Niobe,  have  been  raised  by  him 
from  the  same  pairs  of  species,  and  have  very  properly  received  the 
same  names.  In  other  genera  he  has  obtained  Calanthe  Cooksoni, 
Cattleya  William  Murray,  I  mlio-Cattleya  Phoebe,  Dendrobium  Venue, 
D.  Owenianum,  Masdevallia  Courtauldiana,  all  hybrids  of  great  merit. 
With  these  may  be  grouped  Pbaius  Cooksoni,  a  plant  of  exceptional 
interest,  on  account  of  its  being  the  first  hybrid  Phaius  in  which  the 
remarkable  Madagascar  species  P.  tuberculatus  has  participated  in  the 
parentage.  Among  later  acquisitions  Cypripedium  Bryani,  Lmlio- 
Cattleya  Doris,  Dendrobium  Sybil,  and  Pbaius  Cooksonise,  are  beautiful 
hybrids,  but  especial  prominence  must  be  given  to  Odontoglossnm 
crispo-Halli,  one  of  the  most  remarkable  of  artificially  raised 
Odontoglots ;  and  scarcely  lees  interesting  is  the  confirmation  of 
the  supposed  parentage  of  Cattleya  Hardyana.  The  hybrids  raised  by 
Mr.  Cookson  include  a  large  range  of  subjects,  and  will  bear  enduring 
testimony  of  his  horticultural  skill. 
Maetin  R.  Smith,  in  recognition  of  his  great  success  in  improving 
the  garden  Carnation.  This  success  is  the  more  remarkable  from  the 
fact  that  when  Mr.  Smith  took  up  the  subject  he  began  to  work  in  a 
field  in  which  great  results  had  been  already  obtained,  especially  by  the 
late  Charles  Turner  and  Ephraim  Dodwell,  besides  other  cultivators  of 
this  popular  flower,  when  further  improvement  seemed  well  nigh 
unattainable.  It  is  well  known  among  amateurs  of  the  Carnation  that 
of  the  numerous  seedlings  raised  annually  very  few  retain  a  permanent 
place  in  collections.  A  glance  through  the  groups  into  which  florists 
have  distributed  the  different  forms  and  colours  shows  that  some  of  Mr. 
Smith’s  seedlings  possess  qualities  that  will  make  them  exceptions  to  the 
general  rule,  especially  in  the  group  known  as  Malmaison  Carnations. 
In  this  group  Mr.  Smith’s  acquisitions  are  particularly  valuable,  not 
only  to  amateurs,  but  to  horticulturists  generally. 
Chaeles  Naudin,  for  distinguished  services  to  botany  and  horti¬ 
culture.  He  is  one  of  the  most  eminent  French  botanists  of  the  present 
time,  and  has  been  for  upwards  of  thirty  years  a  member  of  the 
Acaddmie  des  Scieuces,  the  most  important  scientific  body  in  Fiance. 
He  began  his  scientific  career  in  the  Jardin  des  Plantes,  where  he  soon 
gained  distinction  by  his  accurate  investigation  of  the  subjects  submitted 
to  him.  Among  these  were  numerous  experiments  to  determine  the 
nature  and  validity  of  species,  including  the  deteimination  of  the  many 
cultivated  varieties  of  the  Gourd  and  Pumpkin.  By  carefully  growing 
the  numerous  kinds  side  by  side,  by  comparing  one  with  the  other,  and 
by  crossing  or  attempting  to  cross  one  with  the  other,  he  eventually 
succeeded  in  tracing  all  the  edible  and  most  of  the  ornamental  forms  to 
Cucurbita  Pepo,  C.  maxima,  and  C.  moschata.  While  connected  with 
the  Jardin  des  Plantes,  he  collaborated  with  Professor  Decaisne  a  general 
treatise  on  horticulture,  entitled  “Manuel  de  I’Amateur  des  Jardins,” 
still  the  most  scientific  and  best  illustrated  work  on  gardening  in  the 
French  language.  Failing  health  obliging  him  to  leave  the  Jardin  des 
Plantes  about  the  year  1870  after  passing  some  years  in  experimental 
horticulture  at  Collioures,  he  accepted  the  directorship  of  the  Villa 
Thuret  garden,  established  by  M.  Gustav  Thuret  and  Dr.  Bornet  at 
Antibes,  as  a  botanic  garden  for  experiments  in  the  acclimatisation  of 
subtropical  plants.  The  villa  and  garden  are  now  the  property  of  the 
French  Government,  and  form  a  sort  of  southern  branch  of  the  Jardin 
des  Plantes,  under  the  direction  of  M.  Naudin,  in  which  are  cultivated 
Australian,  South  African,  and  many  other  subtropical  plants,  for  dis¬ 
tribution  among  the  French  colonies,  and  for  the  use  of  the  Universities 
of  France.  Since  his  instalment  at  the  Villa  Thuret,  M.  Naudin  has 
published  a  valuable  “  Manuel  de  I’Acclimateur,”  in  which  the  author’s 
extensive  knowledge  of  the  large  and  diflBcult  genera  Acacia  and 
Eucalyptus  is  conspicuously  shown. 
Max.  Leichtlin,  in  recognition  of  eminent  services  to  horticulture, 
especially  the  introduction  of  many  new  and  beautiful  plants.  Max. 
Leichtlin  occupies  a  unique  place  among  the  horticulturists  pf  the  present 
day.  Apprenticed  to  a  gardener  in  his  youth,  he  subsequently  held 
situations  in  several  places,  but  finally  settled  down  at  Baden-Baden, 
where  he  founded  a  private  Botanic  Garden,  which  has  since  become  a 
household  word  wherever  rare  and  beautiful  species  of  bulbous  and 
perennial  herbaceous  plants  are  prized.  In  this  remarkable  garden, 
scarcely  half  an  acre  in  extent.  Max.  Leichtlin  has  worked  for  upwards 
of  forty  years,  with  the  assistance  of  only  one  or  two  skilled  labourers. 
During  this  period,  remote  corners  of  the  earth  have  been  searched  for 
plant  rarities  ;  and  when  once  these  treasures  have  found  a  home  in  the 
little  garden  at  Baden-Baden,  the  skill  of  the  owner  has  rarely  failed  to 
make  them  available  for  the  gardens  of  Europe. 
To  enumerate  the  many  plants  introduced  by  Max.  Leichtlin  would 
require  a  very  large  page  of  letter-press ;  but  to  show  how  cosmopolitan 
his  operations  have  been,  aifew  representative  instances  should  be  noted. 
Thus,  among  his  introductions  we  have  Anemone  blanda  from  Armenia, 
Colchicum  Szwowitzi  from  Persia,  Bomaria  oligantha  from  Colombia 
(S.  America),  Calochortus  Leichtlini  from  California,  Eremurus  robnstus 
and  Oatrowskya  magnifies  from  Central  Asia,  this  last  the  grandest 
of  all  Bell-flowers ;  Galanthus  Reginae  Olgas  from  Greece,  Gladiolus 
platyphyllus  and  other  species  of  Gladiolus  from  South  Africa,  Kniphofia 
comosa  from  Abyssinia,  Leucocoryne  purpurea  from  Chili.  Meconopsis 
racemosa  from  China,  Olearia  insignis  from  New  Zealand,  Tigridia  Van 
Houttei  from  Mexico,  and  many  more,  forming  a  surprising  record  for 
one  man.  Besides  all  these,  many  beautiful  forms  have  been  raised  in 
the  Baden-Baden  garden  by  hybridisation  and  selection,  as  the  Kniphofia 
hybrids,  Paeonia  Moutan  varieties,  Clematis  coccinea  [major,  Crocosma 
aurea  imperialis,  Aubrietia  deltoidea  Leichtlini,  and  many  more. 
The  plan  adopted  for  the  cultivation  of  so  large  a  number  of  species 
within  so  small  a  space  is  a  very  simple  one.  As  soon  as  new  plants 
and  bulbs  have  been  proved  and  multiplied,  they  are  distributed  among 
the  gardens  of  the  world,  and  room  is  made  for  new  introductions. 
Novelty  and  change  are  the  predominant  features  of  the  Baden-Baden 
garden  ;  the  occupants  of  it  at  one  epoch  disappear  within  a  short 
period  afterwards. 
Professor  L.  H,  Bailey,  for  eminent  services  to  horticulture.  As 
Professor  of  Horticulture  in  the  Cornell  University  in  the  State  of  New 
York,  Mr.  Bailey  has  laboured  earnestly  to  promote  the  science  and 
practice  of  horticulture  in  the  United  State  in  various  directions.  This 
he  has  done  primarily  by  lectures,  in  which  he  has  brought  before  bis 
audiences,  usually  consisting  of  farmers  and  others  engaged  in  the 
manual  work  of  cultivation,  the  more  important  facts  in  plant  physi¬ 
ology,  which  are  apt  to  be  overlooked  by  ordinary  workers,  besides 
other  illustrations  of  plant  life,  some  knowledge  of  which  is  indis¬ 
pensable  to  those  engaged  in  gardening  and  agriculture.  He  has  done 
essentially  good  work  in  teaching  and  illustrating  the  use  of  insecticides 
in  investigating  the  origin  of  plant  diseases,  and  experimenting  on  the 
means  of  arresting  them,  especially  in  fruit  trees,  in  which  he  has 
rendered  valuable  service  to  the  fruit  growers  of  America.  He  is  one 
of  the  most  prolific  writers  on  applied  botany  in  the  United  States  ;  the 
numerous  year  books  on  horticulture,  and  the  useful  bulletins  issued  by 
the  Agricultural  Station  connected  with  the  Cornell  University,  bear 
ample  testimony  to  his  great  activity  in  disseminating  useful  knowledge, 
whether  derived  immediately  from  his  own  observations  and  experi¬ 
ments,,  or  from  the  publications  of  others.  He  has  published  several 
important  scientific  works,  among  the  latest  of  which  is  one  entitled 
••  The  Survival  of  the  Unlike,”  a  collection  of  evolution  essays,  suggested 
by  the  study  of  domesticated  plants. — (*‘  Gardener’s  Chronicle.”) 
