The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-27

melon The Rocky Forders insist that one
Of their mum Der developed il from a mild
melon indigenous 20 Colorado, but the de-
partment Of agriculture. in making care
ful investigation, has discovered that the
Rocky Ford melon is nothing in the world
bun the old-fashioned and much-despised
Melted Gem melon Of the East. which vas
grown in the kitchen gardens of our
sTaudmothers. IL grows 10 great pertec-
ton. it is true. in Colorado, but the Melted
Gem it is and nothing more. Many Eastern
people wait until the Jersey melon comes
into the market Being grown near home
il is picked ripe and is supposed TO be
much sweeter than any other variety. The
Jersey melon is usually nothing more nor
less than the Melted Gem or some nearly
related variety Throughout the Missis-
sippi valley and to some extent in the
East The Osa ge melon reigns supreme II
is large green melon, not so handsome
as the Rocky Ford but very rich and lus-
cious. This melon also has a curious his
tory. morrill,, one of the most famous fruit
growers in the state of Michigan, as well
as ia The United States, had become dis
couraged with mis- calling 1t the time The
'yeilOTs' carried off 90 many peach or
chards Accordingly he made a trip into
the far Southwest TO prospect for gold.
" hile there he found a wild melon Of I'M
usual favor and sweetness, although it
was not large. He did not find any gold.
but he came home with his me on, planted
the seeds and in a few years he was sup
plying nearly the entire Chicago market
with the product Of this New Mexican seed
The New Russian Melon.
Mr. TAYLOR told me of a new discovery
just made by the agricultural department
IA meieu hat will keep well in o the win
ter Ike squash some time ago Prof.
Hanson was sent to Russia TO gather the
seeds of fruits and valuable AGRICULTURAL
plants unknown to tnis country. Among
others he found al khiVa, Turksian, the
seed Of a melon which was picked green
and kept 10 ripen in a root house or eel
lar. The fruit often reached the great size
OF % POUNDS ana 1t pore some resemblance
when ripe both 10 the cantelOuDe and to
the Waterm lon 1t seemed indeed to be in
some way a nlbrid between the two TheSs
seeds planted IN this country have grown
with great success and the agricultural
department is confident that ii has made
a genuine discovery which will later yield
substantial money returns to the fruit
growers Of the entire country. In the
course Of TWO or three years we may ex-
pect 10 see delicious ripe melons on sale
during the Christmas holidays and even
later in the winter
Watermelons, unlike the canteloupes,
have not yet begun TO be designated by va
riety names, except perhaps by the more
advanced dealers. There is the round wa
tcrmelon and the long green watermelon.
and that is about as TAR as it goes. But it
is only a question of time when the puI-
chaser himself will be able to distinguish
the Triumph melon from Kolb's Gem and
Dixey from Mountain Sweet. One of the
greatest educators of the public in this
respect have been the fruit shows held
of late years in many important cities.
People are beginning to know that the
best looking melon is not always the
sweetest and best. and planters are begin
ming TO learn that it pays to advertise and
push varieties which are particularly ex-
cellent For this reason there has been
growing during the past few years a ten
dency on the part of advanced growers to
ship in peculiar kinds of crates. and boxes
with special labels, so that their fruit can
be distinguished anywhere in the market.
know one grower whose fruit comes
largely to the Chicago market who has
this sign on every one of his baskets:
:"BY THEIR FRUITS SHALL YE:
KNOW THEM"
Another famous grower who has extern
sive peach orchards in Connecticut and ex-
tensive melon fields in Georgia had adopt
ed the following slogan
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
~. C. TOP u. c. ALL: