Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-10-01
SOME BIG wATeRMELoNs.
A baltimore Dealer Says the Mnry =
land Fruit - the Best.

A Baltimore Dealer says the Mary
land Fruit - the Best.
How big was the largest wafer
melon ever saw? Well. now, let me
see have been in the business since
1880" SAID Mr. Hanson +. Barnes the
commission merchant, land | have
seen melons on this wharf which
weighed a high as seycnty-iivc 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 eX-
pense of $500 | distributed them
throughout the markets Of Baltimore
and the state. and now they arc bought
in preference to any other sort. They
are of two shades of green. and are
known "a the light and dark varieties.
They do not differ in flavor The rind
is very thin and they are all exceedingly
sweet
1.-The latest thing in melons is the
'Scaly Bark This is the second season
for this melon, and it is extra fine. Ii
is of dark green color, with irregular
patches of a scaly appearance. 1t is
said 10 be most reliable variety and
an excellent article for shipping on ac-
count Of its keeping qualities.
There are various ways OF judging
q watermelon. Those who have to
handle them are educated by experience
TO know ripe melon on sight. but if
the skin breaks crisply when cut into
with the thumb nail, or Il peculiar hol-
low sound is emitted when tapped with
the knucklc, or il the meat is heard to
break with brittle sound when the
fruit is squeezed, the melon is general
ly ripe The 'Scaly Bark does not
respond kindly to the squeezing or tap
ping test, as a two-hundrea-pound man
might sit upon one without crushing
the meat; vet when cut the melon
might prove n prime one by its dark
red meat and black seed.
The general tendency in improving
the melon is to get round fruit and thin
rnds, thus obtaining a greater amount
of meat in the space handled and Oh
waiting crumpled fruit, which may be
ripe at one end while the long, thin
ends are useless The lee Kinds fill
the bill in this respect, but tough rinds
are cultivated for shipping purposes.
The Maryland fruit is far superior TO
any raised out of the state, and the
Cobb Gems sent from Georgia are
said to lack the proper flavor 10 an app
preciable extent, there being a marked
contrast between them and those raised
here. The Magothy river has now
successful rival in the lower eastern
shore counties of Wcomico, Dorchcs.
ter, and others. The season, however.
is at least twenty days behind time.
The wharves yesterday had ten
thousand melons when there should
have been seventy-iivc thousand on
hand. This was caused by the cx-
tremely wet season and the GOODNESS of
the temperature. for although the melon
is mostly composed of water il requires
n hot. dry season to mature it properly.
Besides this tho early rains washed out
many of the seeds. neces,tating re-
planting of patches. 1t is thought
that Maryland fruit will appear in good
quantities next week Baltimore sun.