The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-11-30
THE MONTREAL MELONS.
Which Grow In only Two Spots and
Cost 81 Portion In New York.

very humble customer indeed beside
that monarch of the melon tribe, the
Montreal melon. Precious few New
York breakfast tables the Montreal
melon visits The swellest restaur-
ants, hotels. clubs and the country
homes and villas of thew wealthy
are the places where II lis seen. A
melon that costs 81 a portion is too
rich for the average householders
blood. .s1 se
The Montreal is the king OF the
melon tribe in looks, size, weight and
flavor. 1t is the one melon grown
that never runs the peril of striking
glutted market for the reason that,
whatever its popularity, the acreage
on which II is and can be cultivated
is very limited. 1t is truly named In
that the only soil In which 1t grows
to perfection is that OF the island of
Montreal, and even there the melon
acreage is practically localized to two
posts, Outremont and NotTe Dame DE
Grace.
There are not more than twenty
five farms on the whole island of
Montreal on which these melons are
grown, and the area of cultivation,
despite all the efforts of Canada's
agricultural sharps to extend the in
dustry is becoming rather circum-
scribed than Increased. The Montreal
melon is a true home body and stead
fastly refuses to grow elsewhere, no
matter what the Inducements and
petting offered it.
1t is curious that the melon, which
originated in a warm country, Hin
dustan being It's birthplace, should
arrive at it's greatest perfection in
such a latitude as Montreal, but 1t is
to be remembered that the Montreal
melon is no heaven sent gift; It Is
the product of eternal vigilance, lots
of hard work and an infinite atten-
tion to the details of cultivation. The
planting of the seeds is done in March
in hotbeds. After a fortnight or so
careful inspection is made of the
plants and If progress warrants they
are transplanted into other hotbeds,
The third transplanting comes in late
spring, when the plants are put into
what are known as the summer hot
beds.
Soon after the frames around the
beds are pulled away and the vines,
which by this time are well under
way, are left to face the contingen-
cies of the wind and weather. AS
for the growers, all devout Catholics,
each prays to his patron saint for a
hot, dry summer, which to the melon
means size and flavor.
The melons are grown in patches,
each patch consisting of several beds
divided from one another by two or
three rows of potatoes or corn. These
serve as windbreaks to prevent the
wind from roofing under the young
and tender vines and scooping them
up.
The melons begin to show fair size
by the middle of July, and netting
commences. Up to that time the
melons are a glossy green. The pro-
gress of the netting, which is care
fully noted, determines the exact
time when the melons should be pick
ed and sent to market.
The growers take no chances in
this particular but aim to move their
melons just as they ripen, the Mon
treal melon being particularly sus-
ceptible to decay. To obviate this
every possible precaution is taken
and the big fellows are handled as II
In cotton and wool.
Every path over which the melons
smooth and clean without a pebble
or obstruction left. A jolt may mean
a bruiso and a bruise means swift
decay. One can't take chances on
dollar a portion melons. race.
Every melon is carefully shored uI
| with small stones SO that the air can
reach It FROM all sides. and there
will be no earth mark to show ths
spot where II lay on the ground dur
ing ripening. When the Montreal
melon is picked 1t shows no sign OF
contact with the earth. Every melon
is labelled and they are packed care
fully in large baskets holding from
eight to twelve apiece. Shipments
are made exclusively by express, Il
being necessary to land the fruit OF
the market as quickly as possible.
| The season lasts from five to sever
weeks. Despite the price the supply
is in no way adequate to the demand
New York being able and willing tc
take every melon grown on the isl
and four or FIVE times over.-New
York Sun.
/ 1.Lt.z. a. AuoiI