Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-31
and Flavor When Rpened the Vim
New Shipping Methods
Aid Growers by Speedy
Distribution Of Fruit
Cantaloupes Are Harder to Send Over Long
Distances Than Watermelons-Test
for RipeneSS

stem end. If this is really soft 1t
usually indicates ripeness. A yellow
ish color Is also sign Of maturity
and my own personal method is by
taking a good sniff of the melon close
to the blossom end. If there Is def
mite fragrance, that makes you Wis
ualize the sunny fields where the
fruit has ripened. and gives you a
perfect idea Of the delicious flavor
of the meat within-then the chances
are very decidedly that your melon
is ready to grace your table.
Incidentally, it may interest you to
know that cantaloupes are really
"muskmelons" or "mushmelons," Just
as we used to call them. Honey-dews,
honey-ballS, Casaba and Persian
melons, are muskmelons, too. They
are the stylish members Of the family
that went out to seek their fortune
and married into different lines. The
honey-ball is a cross between the
honey-dew and the Texas cannon
ball-a well known variety Of musk
melon. Our word cantaloupe comes
from the Italian name for melons,
"cantalupo"-derived from the Castle
Of Cantalupo, which was the first
place in Europe where melons were
grown. The seed was originally be-
lieved to have been sent from Ar
menia. suppose land this is only
q wild guess on my part) that back
In the days when wholesale shipments
or fruit across the country were I'M
heard Of, and entirely impossible, and
the enterprising Italian fruit store was
the sole source of supply-the owners
Of these shops conferred their own
name upon the melons which they
sold, and the consumers gradually
took 1t up.
WATERMELONS come from trop-
ical Africa, where they still grow
wild. The explorer, Livingstone, found
them 1.-THE most surprising plant in
the South African desert. where vast
tracts Of country were literally covered
with these melons" Seed was brought
to the New World by early explorers:
Indians as well as white settlers be-
came interested in their cultivation
to such an extent that watermelons
were growing in New England within
10 years after the landing of the May
flower, and in the Mississippi Valley
long before Father Marquette arrived.
The Tom Watson-the long, green,
dark watermelon seen oftenest in the
markets, Is familiar to us all. Other
favorites are the Stone Mountain, or
Dixie Belle, round, green melon;
the Irish Grey and other striped mel
ons.
Watermelons should be cut from
the vine, with long piece Of stem
left on, but should lot be cut until
reasonably ripe, which may be told
from the color, by the trained eye.
The light background color on the
underside Of the melon should be yell
lowish white when the melon is ma
ture.
ONE expert has delightful method
all his own for testing the ripe
ness of a Internationally to sue
coed with it one must have a musical
ear! He says:
"Never try to test a watermelon by
pressing on it. That ruins the sale
value of the melon and isn't a good
test. But ! do sometimes thump them.
When they go pink they're green,
and when they 60 'punk!' they're
ripe!"
II you wish advice on your indi-
vidual problems, write to Betsy Cas-
well in care Of The Star, incloSing
stamped, self addressed envelope for
reply.