Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-08-10
SPECIALITY IN MELONS.
Successful Experiment With
Seeds of a Roumanian Variety.
LIKE GRAPEFRUIT IN SIZE.

Agricultural Department Makes Graft
flying Tests With Watermelon Seeds
Sent by Former Minister II. G.
knovvles-Meat Yellow and Red-De-
lieious In Flavor.
In its efforts to introduce into the
| United States the best grain, vegeta-
bles and fruits Of foreign countries the
| agricultural department has never been
| more interested In Its experiments
along that line than it now is in a
| new watermelon.
This particular variety Of melon was
found by Horace g. Knowles, late
American minister to Roumania, grow.
ing in the foothills of the Carpathian
mountains in Roumania. The melons
have very thin skin, and the meat,
which Is less fbrous than our native
melons, In color is both yellow and
red, and the favor Is exceedingly de-
licious. Besides its matchless favor, It
has another distinctive feature in its
size, which is about that of a grape
fruit.
1t 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, restaurants, clubs
and on dining cars. They could be
Kept on ice, and whole melon could
be served as one portion.
Seeing the possible demand for SUCH
a melon in the United States, Minister
Knowles obtained 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 intro.
duction Of the agricultural department,
who has achieved a wide reputation
for the discovery and successful intro
tluction in the United States Of many
valuable foreign fruits and vegetables,
the melon seed were distributed last
year to number Of experimental sta
tiUns.
The reports on the result of the ex-
periments were most satisfactory and
proved that the melons can be grown
successfully in nearly every section Of
the United States. A report from
Massachusetts states that the melons
have q most delicious favor and pre-
sent the flattering difficulty Of find
ing any one person who will be salts
fed with only one Of the melons" Tho
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
/ hotels 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 NV
" Minister Knowles has suggested to
the agricultural department that tho
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 1t II
not improbable that this dainty, de-
licious melon may soon become ~
popular as the Rocky Ford canteloupes
the tribute Of our representative in tho
selection Of that name will be appre-
ciated both by the beautiful princess
and the country in which she Is SO
much admired. sgg.
lit is said that the successful cultiva-
Hon in the United States Of this melon
Is assured. and experts say that 1t win
be worth millions Of dollars to our
country. The agricultural department
has already expressed its appreciation
to Minister Knowles for his thought
fulness and invaluable donation to tho
fruitage Of the United States.-Wash
ington Post.