The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-07-06
The Cantaloupe
BY JAM, EnDISGTnH.

We are boastful of our melons and
wastefnl. too. The two tendencies fire.
quently go together.
1t is claimed that our growers of can
taloupes and melons have created some
of tho choicest varieties IN the world
or that nowhere in the world Will you
End anything to surpass in sweetness
and fragrance tho Emerald Gem, the
New Spicy the Rocky Ford. most
precious OF ALL
In farmers bulletin No 1913 we MAJ
read. AN explanation or the popularity
OF the Rocky Ford melons is that they
are well graded and usually uniform In
quality. AS Mr.. Blinn explains, tho
Rocky Ford cantaloupe is product %
years OF systematic selection, and IL re-
quires tho same methods to maintain
us excellence as were employed In it's
development. without care In scler-
ton of seed. the natural tendency TO
vary Will soon cause /, good strain OF
Rocky Ford melons TO revert to an I'M
desirable type"
One OF the market sacrilegcs OF TO-
DAY Is to sec = melon broken In two
and a stick with "A dirty card on i, adj
vertisine its price 1t is totally un.
necessary waste, and, II tho custom Us
commercially worth while. the melon
might bc cut and covered with trans.
parent paper, as Is the watermelon
Such precious liquid rcfrcshncnt as
drop.
The wider waste Of this precious per
furned and spiced sem.auid food comes
from handling II too much. II is over
50 per cent water. and watery fruits
have 10 be handled with exceptional
care. After the grower has done hin
work so carefully, tho shipper wrapped
ms melons in paper and packcd them
all one way. and when freight has been
paid and all the other expensive cir
- & f..1.
have been passed. IL seems a shan,s
that Nc should have to suffer the loss
that comes from the digging of heavy
thumbs into one end and stout finger.
into tho other.
\ high class grocer, season since.
nut cocoanut over his box OF MELONS
Inviting people TO punch that if they
must punch something
Another had "a large placard inviting
customers 10 let the statesmen pick out
the melons for them. We are still
sreenhorns In this melon business. for
the most part and we can afford to let
the sk'iful help and teach us.
How to Know MeIons.-Prcss the
stem end lightly TO fnd out whether a
melon is ripe. DO not touch the bios.
som end. " this end is bruised the
bruise spreads rapidly. and In few
hours the whole fruit is all but worth
less. Ir tho flesh around where the
stem was attached will not yield 10 n
moderately heavy touch. leave tho
melon until tomorrow or the next day,
when II Will be ripper.
Icy cold and seasoned to our taste
the melon gives us the most accent
able service. hut IL is all right TO e1-
pertinent In mixing the pulp with other
things. although II then is likely TO
lose most Of its identity. Salt. pepper.
sugar ginger. wine. or q French dress
ing are some Of the seasonnGs used
The pulp Ia used to flavor ice cream
but the cream has 10 be labeled or its
presence would hardly be guessed.
Chilled r;.spberrics and whipped
cream are served in u melon container
and various ice creams and ices are so
served. Perhaps the originator OF this
latter combination was Louis" who.
several years ago. published the fol-
lowing IL, his cook book:
GILLIAN RuSseIl.-Cut small can
taloupes I'm two, remove the seeds, and
I'LL the cavities with vanilla Ice cream.
Put n few maraschino cherries on ton
of the cream"
As the cherries are entirely or almost
entirely for looks, II is good plan to
leave them off. Their flavor is one
which does not harmonlzc particularly
we'll with the melon
In removing the seeds from a canta-
loupe in order to fill II or serve II plaln
IL the network which holds them does
not cleave off smoothly and readily.
care must be used. for the delicate pulp
nearest the seeds ia the most spicy
portion of the fruit. 1t Is never to the
advantage OF the flavor to let ice stand
In a melon. IT takes more ice to make
bed In which il may stand. but 1T Is
worth while.
The melon Is suitable for any Of the
three meals, or when one Is thirsty be-
tween times. The special luncheon
dish has been 'cantaloupe cerlse." or
the melon filled with raspberries and
whipped cream.