A little slice of melon history

The article about watermelon (“How the Watermelon Got Its Slurp,” June 25) needs clarification. Seedless watermelons were available for many years before 1988. They were grown from seeds genetically modified by the Japanese. Many years prior to the recent popularity, I asked an Arizona grower who claimed to be the “Watermelon King” why he did not bring more seedless watermelons onto the market. His reply was that the buyers were not accustomed to the elongated shape and did not like the irregularly round seedless fruit. People’s tastes have changed since that time.

Masashi Itano

Rancho Palos Verdes