Ice Cream Watermelon Australia request

[Fusion_power]

There is an inquiry about Ice Cream Watermelon on another forum.

I found what appears to be a valid description in an online listing for seedsavers.net in Australia. This is an old variety that was described by Fearing Burr in:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/21682/21682-h/21682-h.htm

A large, very pale-green sort; when unmixed, readily distinguishable from all other varieties. Form nearly round, but sometimes a little depressed at the extremities; flesh white, very sweet, and tender, and of remarkable fine flavor; seeds white. It is prolific, and also early, and is remarkably well adapted for cultivation in cold localities, or where the seasons are too short for the successful culture of the more tender and late kinds. Its pale-green skin, white flesh, and white seeds, are its prominent distinctive peculiarities.

To the best I can determine, it is still available in Australia. Can one of the down under members check to see if they can obtain seed?

Thanks,

DarJones

[amideutch]

Went to Google.com.au and was able to get the below websites but no source for seed.
The last website mentioned a couple seed banks in the US with over a 1000 varieties of watermelons, maybe that might be the route to go. Trudi might be abe to help with that. Ami

http://acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/search/sim...opic&ID=116533

http://acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/item/itemD...?itemID=166562

http://acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/item/itemD...?itemID=190492

http://cuke.hort.ncsu.edu/cucurbit/w...les/book16.pdf

[carolyn137]

Darrel, why can't you get the seeds yourself here in the US, there are many US sources, and send them to the person in Australia?

it seems the better way to go unless seeds of watermelon are not allowed into Australia b'c of the watermelon disease that's so prevalent now, and no tomato seeds can be sent to Australia for many reasons, although some do enter via submarine if you know what I mean.

[VGary]

Could they be searching for this melon? I don’t know if this is the melon you are searching for or not. My mentor and friend Merlyn Niedens and his wife, created this melon a few years ago and listed it with Southern Exposure Seed Exchange and Baker Creek Seed. Sadly Merlyn died three years ago while working in his garden. Merlyn and Mary Ann were dedicated to preserving and developing many varieties of seed. I shared most all of my Kentucky heirloom tomato varieties with him and he listed them as well.
Ice Cream (Green Machine) MUSKMELON
(Green flesh) 79 days. [1998. Bred by Meryln Niedens. Cross between 'Jenny Lind' and 'Kansas'.] Melons make a perfect bowl for a scoop of ice cream. Sweet 2-lb fruits on compact vines. Also known as "Green Machine" for the large numbers of melons it makes! http://www.southernexposure.com/ice-...2-g-p-231.html


Green Machine Mellon
http://rareseeds.com/green-machine-melon.html

[carolyn137]

Gary, I do think they're looking not for a melon, and I have grown Green Machine, a melon, rather the heirloom variety called Black Seeded Ice Cream watermelon;

http://rareseeds.com/black-seeded-ice-cream.html

I think Glenn Drowns may also list it as do several others but I didn't take the time tolook at Glenn's listings or the listings of anyone else.

[DuckCreekFarms]

sounds very interesting. I would be interested in finding a source. Let us know what you find. I have found several interesting watermelons to trial this year.
garyvs

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by DuckCreekFarms

sounds very interesting. I would be interested in finding a source. Let us know what you find. I have found several interesting watermelons to trial this year.
garyvs

Garyvs, look at my post above yours, there are several sources for the heirloom Black seeded Ice Cream Watermelon.

[Fusion_power]

All, please note the description. This watermelon is White flesh, White seed, and very pale green skin. The Ice Cream melon widely available in the U.S. today is either pink flesh (ars-grin), or red flesh (bakers creek, etc). The description from Fearing Burr is clearly of a white flesh melon.

I too did an extensive search of Aussie websites when I saw that it was still being grown down under and found numerous hits but nowhere were seed offered. That is why I requested assistance.

DarJones

[DuckCreekFarms]

Hi Carolyn

Yes, I checked out the SSE Yearbook History and several Ice cream varieties have been listed at one time or another, but none of them remotely describes the Australian one that Darrell is referring to:

White flesh white seeds

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by DuckCreekFarms

Hi Carolyn

Yes, I checked out the SSE Yearbook History and several Ice cream varieties have been listed at one time or another, but none of them remotely describes the Australian one that Darrell is referring to:

White flesh white seeds

I too missed the white seeded white flesh comment b/c I was reading too fast and concentrated just on the Ice Cream, as I am wont to do.

Darrel, it might be worth asking Glenn about it since folks seem to make a thing of saying black seeded Ice Cream, surely there must be a white seeded one somewhere b'c I know that some watermelon varieties do have alternative seed colors and flesh colors for the same variety.

I just looked at the 2011 Sandhill and not there but the 2012 is out in the front room and I'm headed to the back room to pack yet more seeds for the seed offer. I didn't check the Sandhill webpage either.

[DuckCreekFarms]

Glenn has one listed called "Cream of Saskatchewan" which sounds similar.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by DuckCreekFarms

Glenn has one listed called "Cream of Saskatchewan" which sounds similar.

I've grown that one and love it along with several others that Glenn lists.

But it seems to me that they key words we're looking for are white seed, white flesh, ice cream, and Cream of Saskatchwan doesn't meet all those requirements. I don't know the history of C of S as to whether it goes back that far, time-wise, I'd Google if I had the time, but I don't right now.

[amideutch]

http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs...lay.pl?1030927

http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs..._imag.pl?10675

[Fusion_power]

Ami, thanks for looking, I had found that accession. It is inactive. I sent an email to one of the people at the Griffin GA location just on the chance they could find it.

DarJones

[NutmegCT]

Hi folks. I'm the guy who started looking for a seed source for Ice Cream Melon (Burr's description) last fall on several forums. I maintain an historic veg garden at Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts.

www.osv.org

I see the Ice Cream Melon seed topic is now active here. I'll be interested to follow this, and see if a source turns up.

Thanks.
Tom in CT