8 CUCURBITACE. IV. Cucumis. 
for potting.” M'Phail says, “ Melons will grow and produce 
fruit of a good flavour, if they be planted in any kind of earth, 
not of too light a texture, whether it be taken from a quarter 
of the kitchen garden or from a corn-field, mixed well with 
good rotten dung; but earth of a loamy nature is the best, 
because it retains moisture longer than lighter earth. Earth, dug 
from the surface of a common, where sheep and cattle have 
long been pastured, is excellent for the melon. It should be 
broken well, and lie a few months before it is used, and if it be 
exposed to a winter’s frost it will do it good. This sort of 
earth, if it be taken from the surface of the common, will re- 
quire no manure the first year of using. I would here mention 
that unless the earth which I used for the melon plants was 
very strong, I made it a practice, when the melon-beds were 
wholly earthed up, to tread the surface all over, which makes 
the earth retain its moisture longer than if it were left loose.” 
Earth for melons, according to Nicol, ‘“ may be thus composed : 
one-half strong brown loam from a pasture, a quarter light 
sandy earth, an eighth part vegetable mould of decayed tree 
leaves, and an eighth part rotten stable-yard dung. The mould 
for both cucumbers and melons should be well incorporated, 
should be exposed to frost, and be frequently turned over to 
ameliorate.” It appears from a passage in Morier’s second 
journey into Persia, p. 147., that pigeons’ dung has from time im- 
memorial been much sought after for manuring melons. Immense 
pigeon-houses are built on purpose to collect it, and when there 
is a dearth, as melons produce the earliest return of food, every 
one is eager to cultivate them, and that kind of manure, being 
then in great demand, sells very high. During the famine in 
Samaria, mentioned in 2 Kings, ch. vi. it is said to have sold 
for five pieces of silver the cub. 
A correspondent in the gard. mag. 2. p. 404. on melon 
compost, and on the influence of soil on Hydrangea horténsis, 
has always used for his melons the compost to which the Dutch so 
strongly adhere, viz. one-third strong hazel loam, one-third scour- 
ing of ditches, and one-third rotten dung, exposing the mixture 
two years to the influence of the summer and winter, to evaporate 
what noxious qualities may lurk in the earths: for it is well known, 
that in proportion to the degree of salt of iron, it will be propor- 
tionably sterile. He had often observed the leaves of his melon 
plants turn yellow, occasionally plants died, for which he could 
not account; he suspected iron, as it pervaded his district, to be 
the cause; but as a magnet would not take up any of the com- 
post, his attention was diverted from that point. Similar results 
in future seasons again called his attention to it, and he added 
lime, to correct the sulphate of iron, if any; but he lost his 
whole crop, which he fancied by the application of the lime. 
As during winter a red oxide filtered from the compost heap, 
he again felt certain of the presence of iron. He submitted the 
compost to the test of burning, and having by that means got 
rid of the superabundant carbon, the magnet immediately de- 
tected the iron. He changed his soil, and has never lost since 
any melon plants. The experiment proves that the old test of 
the loadstone may be defeated by the presence of other adherent 
matter ; for though it was inactive over the cold soil, it acted 
in full force upon the soil when, by roasting, it had discharged 
its gas. While a profitable experiment resulted on the one hand, 
a great amusement occurred on the other, with some greenhouse 
plants. He mixed the compost fresh from the ditch with water, 
and founda precipitation of iron. He used the soil and water 
to Hydrdngca horténsis, a cutting from the common pink variety, 
and it so altered the pink colour of the flower to purple, as to 
form a new plant. He applied the same to other plants, in 
some of which it altered the colour of the flowers, but in others 
it had no effect. : 
Estimate of sorts.—Examine the list. The cantaloups are in 
the highest estimation for quality and neatness, although not 
uniformly such great bearers as others in the list. 
Time of beginning to force.—“ From the time of sowing, 
ripe fruit may be cut in about fifteen weeks, as an average 
period ; when many short and winter days fall in the course, it 
may last eighteen weeks; but when the forcing is not commenced 
until the days are nearly twelve hours long, and continually 
lengthening, ripe fruit is sometimes cut in ten weeks. The pe- 
riod also depends upon the sort. Little time is gained by begin- 
ning excessively early. The early and main crops are commonly 
originated from the middle of January to the first week of Fe- 
bruary, the latter or succession crops at the beginning of March; 
and late crops, intended to fruit at the end of summer, in the 
middle of April. M‘Phail and Nicol sow in January. “ The 
latter says, “ I formerly cut melons for three years successively 
on the 15th, 12th, and 10th of May, and never sowed before 
the last week of January or Ist of February. In 1788, when 
at Rainham Hall in Norfolk, I sowed melons on the 12th of 
March, and cut ripe fruit on the 20th of May. The kind was 
the Early golden cantaloup. This shows how little is to be 
gained, or rather how much may be lost by early forcing.” 
Forming the seed-bed.—The plants may be originated in a 
cucumber-bed, and this is the general practice ; but Abercrom- 
bie prefers a separate bed, built a slight degree higher than 
for the cucumber at the same season, and adapted to a one or 
two-light frame, according to the quantity to be raised.” Nicol 
raises the melon almost exactly in the same manner as he does 
the cucumber. 
Choice of seed.—“ Seed under the age of two years is apt to 
run too much to vine, and show more male than female 
blossoms; but new seed may be mellowed by being carried in 
the pocket a fortnight or more, till the heat of the body has 
dried and hardened it. Seed 20 years old has been known 
to grow and make fruitful plants, but seed that has been kept 
3 or 4 years is quite old enough, and less likely to fail than 
older.” M/‘Phail says it is best not to sow melon seed till it be 
2 or 3 years old. It cannot be too old if it be sound and 
grow well. Nicol says, “ I have sown melon seeds 20 years 
old, from which I have raised very healthy and fruitful plants.” 
Kal. p. 396. Miller and Nicol say young melon seeds may be 
worn in the pocket, near the body, for several months previous 
to sowing, which has the effect of fully maturing them. “ If 
seeds of the last season,” Nicol observes, “ be sown without 
taking this precaution, or something similar, the plants will not 
be fruitful, but will run much to vine, and show chiefly male 
blossoms.”—Kal. p. 396. 
Sowing.—Abercrombie says, “ Having moulded the bed, 
and proved the heat, sow in pans 3 inches or pots 4 inches deep, 
rather than in the earth of the bed. Sow a second portion in 
5 or 7 days, to provide against failure. Do not at once plunge 
the pots to the rims.”—Pr. gard. p. 108. 
Treatment till removed to the fruiting-pit.—* As soon as the 
plants appear, give air cautiously, guarding the aperture with 
matting at night and on frosty or gloomy days. At favourable 
opportunities wipe the condensed steam from the glasses. When 
the seed-leaves are about half an inch broad, prick the plants 
into small pots, 5 inches in diameter, 3 in each pot, giving @ 
little aired water just to their roots, then plunge the pots into 
the earth of the hot-bed partially or to the rims, according to 
the heat. Admit fresh air every day in moderate weather, at 
the upper end of the lights, raised an inch or two, according to 
the temperature of the external air, more freely when sunny than 
cloudy, shutting closer or quite close as the afternoon advances 
towards the evening, or sooner, if the weather changes cuttingly 
cold, and cover the glasses every night with mats, and uncover 
in the morning, as soon as the sun is high enough to reach the 
