The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-07-14
/ SPECIALITY IN MELONS
Successful Experiment With the
Seeds of a ROumdnian Variety.
Tiki the GRAPEFRUIT IN SIZE

AGRICULTURAL DepareiAehC Wakes Orat-
ifving Tests With Watermelon
seeds Sent by Former Minister I'll.
aC Knowles. Meat Yellow and
Red. delicious in Flavor.
In its efforts to introduce into the
United States the best grain, vege-
+obles and fruits of foreign countries
The agricultural department has nev-
or been more interested in it's expert
,nents along that line than it now is
in q new watermelon.
This particular variety of melon
mos found by Horace G. Knowles,
1ate American minister to Rouma-
Ma growing in the foothills of the
Carnathian mountains in Roumania.
The melons have very thin skin,
ond the meat, which is less fibrous
tban our native melons, in color is
both yellow and red, and the flavor
is exceedingly delicious. Besides it's
matchless flavor it has another dis
tinctive feature in its size, which is
about that of a grapefruit.
II occurred to Minister Knowles
that a watermelon of that size-just
enough for one person-would find
great favor in the United States. 1t
seemed to him that it would be just
the thing to serve in hotels, restau-
rants, clubs and on dining cars.
They rould be kept on ice, and
whole melon could be served as one
portion.
Seeing the possible demand for
such melon in the United States
Minister Knowles obtained a large
quantity of the seed and sent them
through the state department to the
department of agriculture.
Under the supervision of David
Fairchild of the bureau of plant in
PRODUCTION of the agricultural de-
Dartment, who has achieved a wide
reputation for the discovery and sue
cessful Introduction in the United
States of many valuable foreign
fruits and vegetables, the melon seed
were distributed last year to num-
Der of experimental stations.
The reports on the result of the
experiments were most satisfactory
and proved that the melons can be
grown successfully in nearly every
section of the United States. A re-
port from Massachusetts states that
the melons have a most delicious
flavor and present the flattering
difficulty of finding any one person
who will be satisfied with only one
Of the melons," The department,
through Mr.. Fairchild, is planning to
grow large quantity of the melons
this year, and their merit being
known to the managers of large ho-
tells in Philadelphia and New York
the entire crop this year has been,
bought for those hOstelries, the price
agreed on being three times that of
the prevailing price of the native
melons.
Minister Knowles has suggested to
the agricultural department that the
new melon be named Princess Marie,
in honor of the beautiful crown prin-
cess of ROumania, whose guest he
was when he found the melons. AS
it is not improbable that this dainty,
delicious melon may soon become as
popular as the Rocky Ford canta-
lOupe the tribute of our representa-
tive in the selection of that name
will be appreciated both by the beau
tiful princess and the country in
which she is so much admired.
1t is said that the successful Gull
tyation in the United States of this
melon is assured, and experts say
that it will be worth millions of dol
lars to our country. The agricul-
tural department has already ex-
pressed it's appreciation to Minister
Knowles for his thoughtfulness and
invaluable donation to the fruitage
of the United States.-Washingt
Post.