Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-09-02
SOME BIG WATERMELONs.
A Baltimore Dealer Says the Maryland Fruit
is the Best.
Baltimore Sun.

Glow big was the biggest watermelon /
ever saw? Well, let me see. 1 have been
in the business since $780," said Mr..
Hanson 2. Barnes, the commission mer-
chant "and I have seen melons on the
wharf which weighed as high as seventy
five pounds, but there have been authentic
reports of some which went as high as
eighty pounds. The largest melons are
not always the best. For instance, the
most popular variety is the icing or, as
they are generally called, Ice Kinds,
which do not grow as large as the 'Cobb's
Gem the Pride of Georgia. and the
Blues
''The Ice Kinds were brought out by
Samuel Wall, of Dorchester county. The
first lot ever shipped was consigned to
me five years ago, and [ could hardly pay
anybody to take them. At an expense of
$500 distributed them throughout the
markets of Baltimore and the state, and
now they are bought in preference to any
other sort. They are of two shades of
green and are known as the light and dark
varieties. They do not differ in flavor.
The rind is very thin and they are all ex-
ceedingly sweet.
'The latest thing in melons is the
'Scaly Bark This is the second season
for this melon, and it is ira fine. It is
of dark green color, with irregular
patches of scaly appearance. It is said
to be most reliable variety and an ex-
cellent article for shipping on account of
its keeping qualities.
'Ihere are various ways of Judging a
watermelon. Those who have to handle
them are educated by experience to know
a ripe melon on sight, but if the skin
breaks crisply when cut into with the
thumb nail; or peculiar hollow sound Is
emitted when tapped with the knuckle, or
IT the meat is hard to break with a brittle
sound when the fruit is squeezed, the
melon is generally ripe. The 'Scaly Bark
does not respond kindly to the squeezing
or tapping test, as a two hundred pound
man might sit on one without crushing
the meat; yet when cut the melon might
prove prime one by its dark-red meat
and black seed.
"Ths general tendency in improving
the melon is to get round fruit and thin
rinds, thus obtaining greater amount of
meat in the space handled and obviating
crumpled fruit, which may be ripe at one
end, while the long, thin ends are useless,
The Ice Kinds fill the bill in this respect,
but tough rinds are cultivated for ship
ping purposes.
"The Maryland fruit is far superior to
any raised out of the state, and the
'Cobb's Gems sent from Georgia are
said to lack the proper flavor to an ap-
preciable extent, there being marked
contrast between them and those raised
here. The Magothy river has now a
successful rival in the lower eastern shore
counties of Wicomico, Dorchester, and
others. The season, however, is at least
twenty days behind time.
''The wharves yesterday had ten thous-
and melons where there should have been
seVenty-fve thousand on hand. This was
caused by tho extremely wet season and
the GOODNESS of the temperature, for al
though the melon is mostly composed of
water it requires hot, dry season to ma
ture properly. Besides this the early
rains washed out many seeds, nenessitat-
ing replanting of patches. 1t is thought
that the Maryland fruit will appear in
good quantities next week.