CATALOGUE

Muskmelon(Cucumis melo)
Packet = 20 seeds

Collective Farm Woman - An old Ukrainian variety that is very popular on the Island of Krim in the Black Sea. The round melons can grow to about 7-8" and the great thing about this melon is that the skin turns yellow when ripe. The flesh is a cream color and is very sweet. A nice variety. (85 days)

$3.00

Gnadenfeld - I am very pleased to be able to offer this excellent variety to my customers! This melon has been grown in Gnadenfeld, Manitoba for generations and is named after its place of origin. One of the earliest, most productive and sweetest melons that I have ever tasted! I cannot say enough about this excellent find. The small melons have deep orange fragrant flesh and are produced in abundance. A must for short season areas. (60-65 days) RARE.

$3.00

Green Nutmeg (pre-1806) - This very old melon was mentioned by Bernard McMahon in The American Gardener’s Calendar in 1806. The small melons grow from 1-2 pounds and have a delicious light green flesh. Early and great for short seasons. RARE. (70-75 days)

$3.00

Jenny Lind (1846) - The Jenny Lind melon was developed from an old Philadelphia variety dating from before 1840. It was named after a famous Swedish singer named Jenny Lind, the “Swedish Nightingale”. This melon is one of my favorites and also one of the most unique melons available. The 2 ½ pound fruit are almost turban shaped with a “button” or knob on the underside. The skin is brownish orange, mottled with green when ripe; the flesh is whitish green and sweet. A very beautiful melon that is ideal for short season gardens. (70-75 days)

$3.00

Montreal Market (1870s) - (a.k.a. Montreal Melon, Montreal Nutmeg) Although W. Atlee Burpee discovered this melon in 1880 at the St. Anne’s Market in Montreal, the melon had been grown many years prior to this in the Montreal area. The melon’s roots can be traced back to the early French settlers. The melons that they brought to Montreal were crossed with many types over the years, including the Cavaillon Melon and the Giant Green Nutmeg and by the 1870’s the Montreal Melon had become the large and flavorful variety that made it so famous. The Montreal Melon was widely grown on the western edge of Montreal, between the St. Lawrence River and Mount Royal. This area was a microclimate that allowed the melons to grow to their full potential. There were many families in this area that grew the Montreal Melon, each family’s strain was slightly different. There were two main strains, the Decarie Family Strain and the Gorman Family Strain. The Decarie Strain was large and round; the Gorman strain was more oval. Both had exquisite taste. Montreal Market Melons were shipped as far away as New York and sold for top dollars at fancy restaurants. It became the most popular melon in Canada and New England. It remained popular for decades but after the Second World War it began to disappear. After the 1920’s, the melon farms and the rich agricultural land began to be replaced by urban expansion. The Montreal Market Melon almost became extinct. It was thought lost until a few very old seeds were found in a seed bank maintained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1995. From these few seeds the Montreal Market Melon was saved from the brink of extinction. Montreal Market melons can grow up to 10 lbs. under optimum conditions but most of mine were much smaller, averaging about 4-5 lbs. The flesh is green and very delicious if picked at its prime. A very productive strain that matures quite early for a melon of this size. (85 days)

$3.95

Noire des Carmes (1787) - (a.k.a. Early Black Rock Melon, Des Carmes Canteloupe) A French heirloom that is named for the Carmelite Monks who once grew them in France. Noire des Carmes is in the true cantaloupe group and looks quite different than most melons. The very dark green (almost black) skin of this melon turns yellow to orange when ripe and averages from 2 ½ to 3 lbs. The flesh is orange, sweet and very fragrant. (85 days)

$3.00

Tigger - One of the most unique melons you can grow. Originally from Armenia, this melon is quite drought tolerant. The small melons average 1 lb and are yellow with bright red zigzag designs all over the fruit. The white flesh is slightly sweet and extremely aromatic. RARE. (80-85 days)

$3.00

Tip Top (1892) - (a.k.a. Livingston’s Tip Top Nutmeg) A prolific melon that was introduced by Livingston’s Seed Co. in 1892. It was one of the leading market melons for over 40 years but now has become very rare. The medium sized melons have salmon- orange flesh that is very sweet and spicy right down to the outside rind. Quite drought tolerant. Very early. An excellent melon that puts the supermarket ones to shame. EXTREMELY RARE. (75-80 days)

$3.00

Queen Anne's Pocket Melon (1737) - (a.k.a. Portugal, King Charles, Dormers, Pomegranite, Plum Grannie) This small melon is grown solely for its fragrance. John Randolph, in A Treatise on Gardening (1793) wrote that it was also called “King Charles Melon, because he used to carry one in his pocket, and also Dormers Melon, because it was brought from Portugal by a general of that name.” Some sources state that this melon was cultivated as early as the seventeenth century. These melons were very popular in Victorian times for their perfume-like qualities and were often carried in the pockets of Victorian woman. These 2-3” melons are very beautiful and are yellow with orange stripes. An interesting historic novelty! RARE. (70 days)

$3.00

Minnesota Midget (1948) - Developed by the University of Minnesota in 1948 and introduced by Farmer Seed Company. This fantastic variety is perfect for short season climates and small gardens. The short vines only reach 3' long and are perfect for trellising and container growing. The 3-4” fruit have extremely sweet golden flesh and are produced in abundance. An excellent, very early variety. A must for Northern gardeners! (60-65 days)

$3.00