What are eastern and western cantaloupe?
Western cantaloupe generally weigh 2 to 4 pounds. They are heavily netted with shallow sutures (grooves) and have a small seed cavity. Eastern type cantaloupe normally weigh 5 to 8 pounds, have less pronounced netting with very deep sutures, and a large seed cavity. Most supermarket cantaloupes are western types, but many local markets prefer the larger eastern types.
News
One month ago, watermelon production in southeast Mississippi was on track. Now, growers there have lost much of their crop to the summer’s wet weather.
RAYMOND, Miss. -- Watermelon production is on track despite cool weather at planting.
“I’ve been in our watermelon fields a good bit over the past several days,” Heath Steede, Mississippi State University Extension agent in George County, said on June 9. “The crop looks really good. We had a slow start with the cool nights this spring, but they caught up later. The watermelons are stacked in there, and we’ll have a good crop as far as the number of melons.”
Continuous rains, however, have Steede a little concerned.
Good spring weather conditions in southeast Mississippi kept watermelon production on track.
Some Mississippi watermelon producers lost crops or got a late start because of wet spring weather. But consumers should find the sweet, summer treats on shelves in time for the July 4 holiday.
Choosing a ripe watermelon at the market is easy if you know what to look for. (Photo credit: Jonathan Parrish/Cindy Callahan)
