■hp -
' Y ’
' i !
, P-
•weet and h lgli-flavonred; wclghi
from 2 lbs, to 5 lbs.
17. Pine-apple: fruitsmnU,ro u n d ,d ark -
green, early, exceedingly rich.
18. D arce melon: f rn it oval o r ovate,
about 9 in. long, aud 6 in. in diam
e te r; skin closely mottled with
d a rk soa-green upon a pale ground,
r a th e r widely netted, b u t is subject
to become smooth ; flesh white,
tliick, crisi», an d melting ; when fully
ripened very sweet, b u t r a th e r in-
19. Gerce melon, Ostrieh m e lo n : a liaiid-
sOmc green f ru i t; in shape i t is oval
or ovato. S in . long, an d 4j m- i“
d iam e te r; th e skin is closely mottled
with d a rk sea-green, upon a palo
ground, an d is e ither n etted or n o t ;
in the form er case, the meshes are
very close, by which charac ter it may
read ily be known from the Davce :
when well ripened, various an d n u merous
lo n gitudinal fissures appear
upon the rin d , wbicli has sometimes
from 9 to 11 short d a rk green streaks,
r a d ia tin g from th e a p e x ; stalk very
sh o r t; flesh I J in. or S in . thick,
b rig h t green, melting, very sweet,
a n d h i^ ily flavoured. Th e Gerce
very deep green, b u t w hen matured,
o f a fine, even, lig h t green, with a
reg u la rly n etted surfhce, which, on
th e exposed side, becomes ra th e r
y e llow; flesh pale greenish white,
ten d er a n d delicate, fu ll of a highly
perfumed, pleasant sw eet ju ic e ; the
r in d is very th in ; the seeds u n u
su a lly large. This is a v a riety of
mu ch excellence; it is a g rea t bearer,
a n d h a rd ie r th an an y of th e Persian
melons, except th e Laige Germck.
21. The Strip ed Hoosainee: tVuit oval
a n d mu ch netted, d a rk green in
broad stripes, with narrow intervals
o f d u ll w hite, wliich become faintly
yellow as th e f ru it rliiens ; pulp exte
rn a lly green, b u t more intc ru allv
pale red, excessively ju iey , an d n
perfectly mo lting th an th a t of
famous Ispahan m e lo n ; ju ic e n ___
sweet an d high-flavoured th an th a t
o f an y Persian variety. {Uort.
'Prans., i. 137. 2d series.)
22. Large Gcrmek: a very handsome
rib b ed fru it, generally weighing
5 lbs. or 6 lbs., shapeil lik e a depressed
sphere, u sually 6 in. deep, and from
7 in. to 9 in. in d iam e te r; a t the
apex is situated a corona, o r c ircular
sear, varying from 1 in. to 2 in. in
di.ameter ; skin sea-green, closely
n e tted ; flesli I J in. or 2 in. thick,
c lear green, becoming p aler towards
the inside, drm, ju icy , very rich , and
high.flavoured. Th is is an excellent
variety, rip en in g eariy, an d speedily
a rriv in g a t a b e arin g state ; it is very
prolific, an d produces la rg e r fru it
th a n an y o f the Persian melons : it
generally produces a second crop
spoutaneously.
23. Melon o f Ke.uiing : a b e autiful egg-
shaped fru it, 8 in. long, 5 in. wide in
the middle, an d 6 in. wido a t the
base; skin of a pale lemon colour,
min u tely speckled with p aler dots,
reg u la rly n etted a ll over, with a few
cracks lengthwise; flesh from I J in .
to 2 i in. th ick , ne arly white, with a
copious flow of cool juice, extremely
delicate, sweet, an d high-flavoured,
an d sim ila r in te x tu re to a well-
ripenod Beurré p e a r; it resembles
th e n ex t sort, b u t differs lo being
closely n etted all over, instead of
being smooth.
24. Sweet melon o f Isp a h a n : fru it ovate,
from 8 in. to 12 in. long ; skin nearly
smooth, o f a deep su lp h u r colour ;
flesh white, ex tending ab out h a lf
way to its centre, crisp, sugary, nnd
very rich ; weight 5 lbs. to 6 lbs.
25. licechtvood : middle-sized, oval,
greenish-yellow; ju ic y , rich , an d
26. Cabuj; large, oval, flattish a t the
ends, an d there the skin exhibits
c ircu la r ne ttin g , dark-green, lio-
comiiig ycllowiali when r ip e ; flesh
white, sugary when in perfection,
dissolving almost en tirely in tho
mouth. I t has given rise to many
hybrids.
I I. iviNTER Melo n s .
27. Damphsa melon : th e flrst fru it produced
in th e season is ne arly cylind
rica l, b lu n tly rou n d ed a t both ends;
tho skin varies from palo yollow-
green to intense d a rk olive, an d the
whole fru it is p rominently n e tted ;
flesh b rig lit an d deep groen n e ar the
skin, pale towards th e centre, quito
me ltin g , a n d of excellent flavour;
th e la ter fruits beeome m ore pointed
a t th e ends, an d lose much of th c ir
reticulation on th e surface, th e dark
g reen of th e skin becoming darker.
28. Green Fctfencia, M'inter melon : fru it
oval, witli pointed extremities, very
slightly r ib b e d ; skin d a rk green
dotted with very lig h t green, sometimes
a little ncttiHl ; flesh white,
becoming of a p a lc straw-colour as it
ripens, firm, saccliarino, and juicv,
a n d a ltbough not rich is pleasan'f.
Th e la st two sorts possess tlie valuable
p ro p erty of keeping till th e w inte
r months, if h u n g up h y th e stalks,
or in nets, in a d ry room.
I I I . W a t e rm e l o n s , Cucfirbita cììm'«-
Zua L. ; Cùcumia CilrùUus Sor.
Rumph. Am. 5. t. 146., an d our
fig . 822. Pastequ-e, Fr. ; Wnsser-
melone, Ger. ; Water meloen, Dutch ;
Cocomero, I ta l .; a n dA r6 t« t, Russ.
yellow; flavour g.. .
S u g a r water melon o f the Crimea :
la rg e ; excellent flavour.
31. Persian water melon: skin green,
flesh d a rk red, an d very sweet.
32. Persian water melon o flir iv a n : good,
33. Water melon o f Casan: large, flesli
green, and very sweet.
4801. Choice o f seed. In the cultivation of the melon,
Knight observes, it is a matter of much importance to
procure proper seed. Some gardeners are so scrupulous
on this point that they wiil not sow any seeds unless they
have seen and tasted th e fruit from which they were taken.
It is proper a t least not to tru s t to seeds which have not
been collected by judicious persons. Some make it a rule
to preserve always th e seeds of those individual specimens
which are first ripe, and even to take them from the ripest
side of th e fruit. A criterion of the goodness and probable
fertility of seeds is generally sought by throwing them into
a vessel containing water ; such as sink are considered as
good and likely to prove fertile ; chose th a t float, as worthless.
It is remarked of seeds brought from the Continent,
th a t they require more bottom heat, and the young plants
less water, than are necessary for seeds ripened in this
country, or young plants raised from these.
4802. The melons o f P e r s ia , which compose th e third
section of the summer melons, differ remarkably from the
varieties commonly cultivated in Europe. They are altogether
destitute of th e thick rind which characterises the
latter, and which renders the one half of every fruit useless
; on the contrary, their skin is so thin and delicate,
th a t th e y a re subject to injury from causes which would
produce no perceptible effect upon th e melons of Europe.
Their flesh is extremely tender, rich, and sweet, with a
copious flow of cool juice, which renders them extremely grateful to th e palate. To these important
qualities, they, in many cases, add the merit of bearing abundant crops of fruit, the appearance of which
IS always extremely beautiful. On the other hand, their cultivation is attended with peculiar difficulties.
They are found to require a very high temperature, and dry atmosphere, and an extremely humid soil ;
while they are a t the same time impatient o f an undue supply of moisture, which causes spotting and
sudden decay long before the fruit is matured. It is not, therefore, easy to maintain th a t necessary
balance of heat and moisture, which in Persia arises out of the very nature of the climate and mode of
cultivation. {L in d le y 's Guide, p. 210.)
4803. T k e w a te r melon forms both the food and the drink of the inhabitants of Egypt for several months
'ear, and therefore it is generally considered as the melon of the Jews, mentioned in several parts
Bible. It is much used also in the south of Italv. It m ay b e treated like the common melon, but
in the
of the
It requires a much larger space for the extension of'its shoots. The fruit not being handsome, richly
coloured externally, or highly flavoured, it is not valued for th e dessert, and is therefore little, if a t all.
cultivated in Britain. ’
4804. For the en tir e course o f cu ltu r e o fth e melon, see § 3255.
S u b s e c t . 5. Cucumber. — Cucumis saûvus L . ; M o n d e . Monad élph. I j. C ucu rhi-
tàceoe^. Concombre, Er. ; G urke, Ger. ; Kom kommer, Du. 5 C itriu o lo , Ital, ; and Pepino,
or Cohombro, Span.
4805,^ T Ii£ cucumber is a tender annual, a native of the East Indie.s, introduced in
1 )73. Tiie culture of the cucumber is of nearly as great antitpiity as that of the vine, for
Moses mentions it as abounding in Egypt when the children of Israel were there, above
three thousand years ago. (N um b ers, chap. ii.) In England it is cultivated generally
and extensively, in forcing-frames and in the open air, and especially near large citie.s
and towns. In Hertfordshire, wholc fields are annually seen covered with cucumbers
without the aid of dung or glass, and the produce is sent to the metropolis for pickling.
In March, cucumbers fetch in the London market a guinea a dozen ; in August and
September, a penny a dozen. The village of Sandy, in Bedfordshire, has been known
to fm-nisli 10,000 bushels of pickling cucumbers in one week.
4806. Use. The green fruit is used as a salad ; it is also salted when half-grown ; and preserved in
vinegar when young and small. In Germany and Poland, barrels of half and also full grown cucumbers
are preserved, from one year to the other, by immersion in deep wells, where the uniform temperature
and exclusion of air seem to be the preserving agents.
4807. Varieties. The prmcipal of these are—
1. The early long p ric kly. Early frame :
from 5 in. to 7 in. long, of a green
colour, wltli few prickles. Tho p lant
is a good b e a re r; and, upon the
whole, this is accounted th e best cucumber
for the general suramercrop,
tho p u lp being very crisp an d plea-
H. E a r ly Southgate; r isomblea the for-
0 preferred to it.
a very uaeful variety
for winter forcing. I t is an
a b u n d an t bearer an d of excellent
q u a lity ; pale green, nearly smooth,
about 9 in. in length.
4. E a r ly short p r ic k ly : not more th a n
4 in. lo n g ; the skin green, ra th e r
smooth, b u t with a few small hlack
prickles. Th is is one of the hardiest
a n d earliest sorts, an d is often preferred
for the flrst crop.
5. While-spined, Dutch, or White short
__________ r t _. -J preferable
even to th e Early long p r ic k ly :
It has fewer seeds; is evidently ditferen
t in taste from most o th e r cucum-
bors, b u t of agreeable flavour.
6. White Tu r k e y : th e stalks an d leaves
are la rger th a n in th e o th e r varieties;
th e fru it also is very long, sometimes
from 10 in. to l.ft in. or even
2 0 in . ; it is q uite straight, an d has
a smooth skin destitute of [»rickles;
it is produced sparingly, an d la te in
th e season.
7. Green I'urkey, I.ong Green T u rk e y :
sometinie.s sown tor the late crop.
I,ate cucumbers, however, are mucli
less cultivated th an the early varieties
; most gardeners being of opinion
th a t those kinds which are best
for the e arly crops a re also best for
th e late.
rt.. . - handsome fru it, o riginated
a t Irtongford, n e a r Manchester,
th e scat of C.F.S. Walker, Esq., and
grown th e re sometimes to th e length
of 27 in.
10. Fluted cucumber: a Chinese variety.
{Hort. Trans., v. 66.)
11. Tke Pata g o n ia n : a large coarse variety,
«»nerally grown in the open
g ro u n d ; and whilst young, the fru it
18 sliced, an d pickled in the mann
e r of the mango, (Lin d ley 's Guide-
p. 545.)
Some of th e best new prize sorts, for
1849, w ere : — V ictory of Bath, Prizefighter,
b a tte r ’s Victory o f England,
Mills’s Jewess, Cuthill’s Black spine,
Weedon’s B lack spine, D uncan’s Victoria.
4808. Selection o f sorts. The early frame and the early Southgate are those principally used for early
crops in frames and in the forcing-house; th e green Turkey, and white Turkey, for later crops; and the
long and short prickly for crops in th e open air. {L in d le y 's Guide, p . .545.) T h e Longford prickly, which
a long and very passes under a variety of names in different parts of the country, i handsome fruit, and
I.S by many preferred for culture under glass throughout the year.
4809. Culture. • T- he• cul-t ure of the. cu- cum. ber,. as -ar ..t,a.-b,. le ensc ulent, is chti eofoloy* »c arTr7iretLd„ on by artificial heat or protection, and is therefore treated of under the Forc ing D ep a r tm en t, \ 3223. F or pickling, it is chiefly
cultivated in the open ground, by what is termed drilling, which forms th e only branch of the'culture of
this vegetable reserved for this article. To have a crop in the natural ground, the seed is sown in warm
compartments of rich earth, towards the end of May, or beginning of June, when the weather is settled,
warm, and dry. The plants should mostly remain where sown, to produce late fruit, towards the end of
July, or more generally in August and September, small for picklers, and of larger growth for ordinary
consumption. Sow a portion in a warm border, and the main crop in an open compartment. Dig the
ground, leaving the surface perfectly even. Trace lines w ith intervals of 5 ft. or 6 ft. ; and in the lines
mark stations ft. d is ta n t; then, with a trowel at each of these spots, form shallow circular saucer-form
cavities in th e surface, 10 in. or 12in. wide, and about 1 in. deep m the middle. Sow in the middle of
each cavity eight or ten seeds, half an inch deep. When the plants are come up, and they begin to put forth
the first rough leaves in the centre, thin them to three or four of the strongest in each hole. Earth these
up a little, between and close round the stems, pressing them a little asunde r; and give them some water,
to settle the earth below and above. In their advancing growth, train out the leading runners. Supply
them with requisite waterings, in dry weather, two or three times a week, or sometimes every day in
very dry hot weather, in July, August, or September. At this season, water early in the moming, or late
in tne afternoon, towards evening.
4810. Gathe ring. “ The crop comes in sometimes towards the end of July, but more generally not
before August in full production; continuing till about the middle or end of September, when the plants
decline, Be careful to gather the fruit in a prime state, both for pickling and other purposes. They must
be quite young for pickling, not exceeding 2 in. or 3 in. in length.” {Abe rc rombie .) Those who are
desirous of growing cucumbers for exhibition and prize shows, in the newest and best manner, may
consult a work nn this subject, by \V. E. Allen, entitled, A T reatise on a n e n tir e ly o r ig in a l S y stem o f
cu ltiva tin g Cucumbers, 4c . i Svo, pam p h let; Ipswich, 1834.
S e c t . II. E x o tic and T ro p ic a l F r u its w ell know n, but neglected as such.
4811. Among neglected exotic fr u it s we include the orange tribe, one of the most
beautiful, and also a veiy useful class of fruits. The culture of oranges and lemons for
the table is not at present common in England ; but, in our opinion, it might be pursued
with much enjoyment to the amateui*; since, independently of the gi-atification of seeing
fruit of one’s own growth at the dessert, no object of the fmit-tree kind can be more
splendid than a large healthy orange tree covered with fruit. The pomegranate seems
also to merit culture, both for its singular beauty while on the tree, and tiie addition it
would make to the dessert.
S u b s e c t . 1. Orange T rib e .—C itru s L.; P olyadel. P olyd n. L. and Aurantiacece J.
4812. Of the genus C itru s there arc five species or leading sorts, of which the fruit
is used ; all natives of Asia : viz. the common orange, the lemon, the citron, the lime,
and the shaddock. The common character of the plants bearing these fmits is that of
low evergreen trees, with ovate or oval-lanceolate, entire or serrated, leaves. On the
ungrafted trees are often axillary spines. The flowers appear in peduncles, axillary or
terminating, and one or many flowered. The fruits are large ben'ies, round or oblong,
and generally of a yellow colour. The species seem best distinguished by the petiole,
which, in the orange and shaddock, is winged ; in the citron, lemon, and lime, naked.