Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XI.djvu/385

 MELON 373 but generally it is roughened with corky pro- tuberances in the form of a network, and the abundance of this netting is in many sorts a mark of purity. It is very difficult to make a classification of the varieties other than by the color of their flesh, which in some is green Green Citron Melon. and in others orange or scarlet. The green- fleshed varieties are the most highly esteemed, and among these the most generally cultivated is the green citron, which is somewhat flat- tened at the ends, 6 in. or more in diameter, deeply and regularly ribbed ; skin green, turn- ing yellowish, and thickly netted ; the flesh green, thick, and juicy, and of a highly sugary and rich flavor. This in some of its forms is the great market melon, of which immense quantities are sent from the south early in the season, and later from the market gardens near cities ; by selection it has been increased in size, and specimens a foot or more in diameter are sometimes seen. The nutmeg is a slightly oval variety, and when pure is highly per- fumed and one of the best. Eelated varieties are the Christiana, valued chiefly for its earli- ness, Skillman's fine netted, and Ward's nectar, Large Muskmelon. all of which are better suited for private gar- dens than for market. A comparatively recent introduction is the white Japan, a small fruit with a cream-white skin, smooth or slightly netted, and an unusually thick flesh in propor- tion to its size, and excellent in quality. The large netted muskmelon is very productive and sweet, but inferior to those already named. There are several varieties known as Persian melons, which have a remarkably thin rind and extremely tender thick flesh; these re- quire a longer season than the ordinary kinds, and are not so well adapted to northern locali- ties ; one of the most successful of these is the Cassaba, which is a great favorite near Phil- adelphia and southward; the Ispahan is re- garded as the finest of all, and the most dif- ficult to cultivate. Some of the Persian melons can be preserved for a long time after they are removed from the vines by suspending them in a warm room ; the dumpsha is of this class, and is much cultivated in the south of Europe. The varieties so much cultivated in England under glass are little known in this country. The melon is a most popular fruit, but does not agree with delicate stom- achs ; and it is the custom with many to eat Watermelon Vine. it with the addition of salt and pepper to render it more digestible. The watermelon (citrullua vulgoris) is of Asiatic, or as some say of African origin, and is believed to be the melon referred to in Numbers xi. 5. It is largely cultivated in all warm countries, and presents almost as many varieties as the muskmelon. The vine is a rampant runner, extending from 10 to 18 ft.; the leaves are deeply three- to five-lobed, with the divisions themselves lobed, and of a bluish green ; the tendrils are two- or three-forked ; both kinds of flowers are solitary in the axils of the leaves, and pale yellow; fruit with a smooth rind, roundish or oblong, of a uniform green or variegated with several shades of that color ; in ripening the placentae in which the seeds are imbedded, as well as the pericarp proper, become fleshy and edible ; the seeds are white, brown, or black. The cultivation of the wa- termelon is essentially the same as that of the