Evening star., 1918-08-18
The American
Watermelon

THE watermelon season is being ap-
propriately celebrated and the
succulent pink pulp is being consumed
in vast quantities, for. no matter
whether the watermelon be fruit or
a vegetable. nearly all the natives of
the United States and nearly all the
citizens Of the United States by adop-
tion eat 1t. Summer would never be
the same without tine watermelon.
Millions of watermelons may be
shipped to the American troops
abroad this season. 1t may be that
millions have already been sent to the
men who are upholding the flag In the
war zone. A watermelon to these
men must seem like message from
home. Heretofore the watermeon has
achieved no great fame or distinction
in Europe, but tide and taste may
change and Europeans may take it to
their hearts. Other distinctive Ameri-
can foods, as. for example, green corn
and ice cream, have made conquests
of Europe.
Americans have come to look upon
the watermelon as Une of the aborigi-
nal fruits of this part of the world,
nut this is a mistake. 1t is certainly
an old citizen, but its ancestors were
immigrants. The watermelon Is of
African descent, There is good deal
of mystery as to how and when it
L
from Africa is affirmed by all the
plant historians who have busted
themselves with the subject But, ae-
cording to science. the watermelon,
many hundreds of years ago, in
Africa, was neither much of n fruit nor
a vegetable. 1t was weed. 1t was
probably brought over in one of the
SHIPS engaged in the slave trade, and
1t has been developed to its present
size and sweetness by American grow
a. lnn
melon in many ea..ly. American chrcn-
icies. Today more watermelons are
grown and eaten in this country than
in any other country in the world,
and the statement has been made, on
what would seem to be good author
ity, that more are raised in the United
states than in all the other countries
OF the world combined.
Ihe watermelon is growing wild i'm
parts of Africa today. There are also
patches of cultivated melons. In the
writings of the explorer Livingston
may be read the statement that large
tracts or country we're covered with
wild melons. The watermelon laws no
claim to being an aristocratic plant
ana II has number of relatives, like
.ne , pumpkin, gourd and squash.
which. though popular and high
priced, are not generally named on
banquet menus. Some plants fight
their way upward to popular favor in
spite OF soc1al prejudice against them.
AS proof OF this, 1t is only necessary
TO point to the peanut
There are. of course. many distipc-
tive and distinguishing marks and
features about the watermelon. but
one OF its peculiarities which bas
given a good deal of interest to men
of science is that unlike nearly all
other plants having sweet Juice. nei-
ther good wine nor good vinegar can
pc made from 1t. Strong brandy NAV
be distilled from the juice of the can.
taioupe. but not from the watermelon.
the amount of sugar contained in
the juice of good watermeiona is 81
great that various commercial efYorts
nave been made to grow IL for ;ts
sugar content. Sugar of an excellent
quality has been obtained, but il
seems NOT to have been able to COM
pete with the sugar cane or tho smear
beet.