[Sca-cooks] Jacobean Documentation for Square Watermelons and Fruits

[Johnna Holloway]

Several years back there were discussions on this list on the topic of
Japanese farmers growing and selling square and heart shaped watermelons and cucumbers, etc.

http://www.whataboutwatermelon.com/index.php/2009/07/how-and-why-square-watermelons-are-made/

http://www.instructables.com/id/Grow-a-square-watermelon/

http://cupcakepunk.com/?p=189

The molds were appearing in various gardening catalogs at the time.

I bring this up because I was searching a phrase yesterday and turned up the following account:

Natural History. Century VI. [page 200]

502 
IT is a curiosity to have fruits of divers shapes and figures. 
This is easily performed by moulding them when the fruit is young, with moulds of earth or wood. So you may have cucumbers, etc. as long as a cane; or as round as a sphere; or formed like a cross. You may have also apples in the form of pears or lemons. You may have also fruit in more accurate figures, as we said of men, beasts, or birds, according as you make the moulds. Wherein you must understand, that you make the mould big enough to contain the whole fruit when it is grown to the greatest: for else you will choak the spreading of the fruit; which otherwise would spread itself, and fill the concave, and so be turned into the shape desired; as it is in mould works of liquid things. 
Some doubt may be conceived, that the keeping of the sun from the fruit may hurt it: but there is ordinary experience of fruit that growth covered. Quaere also, whether some small holes may not be made in the wood to let in the sun. And note that it were best to make the moulds partible, glued, or cemented together, that you may open them when you take out the fruit.

 503 IT is a curiosity to have inscriptions or engravings in fruit or trees. This is easily performed by writing with a needle or bodkin or knife or the like when the fruit or trees are young for as they grow so the letters will grow more large and graphical. 

On Google Books this is from The Works of Francis Bacon. Volume 1, Printed for A. Millard, 1753.
 Bacon was born in 1561 and died in 1626.

This was originally published on page 131-132 of 
Sylua syluarum: or A naturall historie In ten centuries. VVritten by the Right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam Viscount St. Alban. Published after the authors death, by VVilliam Rawley Doctor of Diuinitie, late his Lordships chaplaine. Bacon, Francis, 1561-1626. It is dated 1626 for publication. Bacon worked on experiments with fruits for a number of years, so it is hard to date when he was first writing about moulding fruits.

The idea later appears in A treatise of fruit trees shewing the manner of planting, grafting, pruning, and ordering of them in all respects according to rules of experience gathered in the space of thirty seven years : whereunto is annexed observations upon Sr. Fran. Bacons Natural history, as it concerns fruit-trees, fruits and flowers : also, directions for planting of wood for building, fuel, and other uses, whereby the value of lands may be much improved in a short time with small cost and little labour
by  Ralph Austen. Oxford : Printed by William Hall for Amos Curteyne, 1665.

Not quite prior to 1600, but interestingly close should anyone want to grow their own fruits in  such a style.

Johnnae