Page:How and what to grow in a kitchen garden of one acre (IA howwhattogrowin00darl).pdf/162

 for instance the “Ironclad,” you can pick them off at the approach of frost, and by storing them in a cool, frost-proof cellar, have them in good condition till Christmas. Though my own opinion is that they lose their attractiveness when the hot weather is gone, still, it is always one of the main aims, in gardening, to have things out of season as well as at their regular period of ripening.

—This melon is one of the best for the small garden. Though not large, averaging eight to ten inches in diameter, it is perfectly round, so that there is a great deal of eating in one of them, while the quality is not equaled in any other variety. The melons ripen early, and the vines are vigorous in growth and very productive. As its name, “Honey Melon,” implies, it is sweet and luscious, and of a rich honey flavor, melting completely and leaving no stringy fibre in the mouth. The dark green skin, and intense brilliant red of the flesh, make a very striking appearance when cut.

—A large melon, of superior quality, and where there is room to grow them, will be found a profitable crop for market. Under ordinary culture, it frequently attains a weight of sixty to seventy pounds. They take their name of Ironclad from the exceeding toughness of the thin rind. Cutting into one is almost like cutting into sheet iron, though the flesh inside is frosh, crisp and melting. So strong is this rind, that I have