M 



fupplied with feeds by perfons who I thougtit could 

 not be deceived in their choice, and who lived near 

 the place of their growth. 



Before I quit this head, I beg leave to caution all per- 

 fons againft depending upon feeds which are brought 

 from abroad, either by thofe perfons who import 

 them for fale, or gentlemen who frequently bring or 

 fend over thefe feeds to their friends, for it feldom hap- 

 pens that any of thefe prove tolerable. I have been 

 fo often deceived by thefe niyfelf, as to determine 

 never to make trial of any c.f thefe feeds agaip, unlefs 

 J receive them from a perfon who is fkilful, and who 

 cat of the fruit himfelf of which he faved the feeds ; 

 ■for in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and many parts of 

 France, the gardeners are very carelefs in the choice 

 " of all their feeds, but of the Melons they are remarka- 

 ' biy fo ; and as for thofe which come from Conflan- 

 ^ tinople, Aleppo, and other parts of Turkey, I have 

 Vrarefy ktn one Melon produced from tho^e feeds 

 ' which was tolerable. . 



M 



I 



The feeds of Melons fhould not be fowh untlT tliey 

 ^' are three years old, nor would I cKufe to fow them 





when they are more than fi^ ; fqr althgugh they will 



grow, at ten or twelve years old, yet the fruit which 



"' are produced from thofe old feeds are feldom fo thick 



flelhcd, as thofe which come from feeds which are 



freflier : and it is the fan^e of light feeds,^ which fwim 



^^upon water, wheri t^^ ^are tj^iJce^ put qf tfie^pplp, 



*" for I have made fome trials of thefe, and have had 



i.^^ «-. 



them grow at three years old ; but not one of the Me- 



" Ions produced on thefe plants was^'hekr IS cfeep flefhed, 



', as thofe "vvhich grew upon plants raifed frqm heavy 



'.^ feeds taken out of the fkne fruit, though they grew 



in the lame Bed, and were cultivated exaftly in the 



* fame manhe?^ *hor was their fo firm, but ra- 



fliouid be fown about the middle or end of February^ 

 if the feafon proves forward ; but if it is otherwilc, it 

 will be better to defer ic till x.ht end of that month; 

 the future fuccefs greatly depends on the raifing the 

 plants in ftrength, which cannot be fo well effefted^ 

 if the weather Ihould prove fo bad after the plants 

 are cp?ne up, as that a fufficient quantity of frefii air 

 cannot be admitted to them, therefore it is hot ad- 



, vifeable to be too early in fowing the feeds. "^ 



_ . When the feafon is come, thefe feeds may be Ibwn on 

 ,.the upper fide of a Cucumber-bed, where there are 

 an/i and if there are none, a proper quantity of 

 new horfe dung muft be provided, which muft be 

 thrown in a heap to fecment, and turned overjVthat 

 it may acquire an equal heat, in the fame manner as 

 hgth been direfted fof Ciicumber? ; and. the plants 

 muft be raifed and managed in the fame manner as 



. hath been diretfled for them, until they are planted 

 , where they are to remain for good, to which article 

 the reader is defired to turn, to avoid repetitipn. '" 

 The fecond feafon for fowins^ of thefe feeds is about 



' the rniddle of March, and both thefe fowings mufh be 



Hihderftood to be planted under frames; for thofe 

 "^■yhich are defign;p4i<?r. b?V<^^ h^nd-gUffes, or tp be 

 '*" covered with oil papers, Ihould not be fown till about 

 "■ a week in April j for when thefe are fown earlier, if 

 ^"the plahts"are properly managed, they will grow {o 

 , long,' as' t6 (Extend their fhoots to the fides of the 

 laffes, before it will be fafe to let them run out ; 

 ^ Itov jt often happens in this country, that w^e have 

 fharp morning frofts in the middle of May -, fo that 

 '-- if the ends of thefe V^nes are then without th^ glafles^ 

 they are not covered with rnats to guard them 





-f ; 



againft the froft,*' they will be in danger of fufFering 



greatly therefrom-, and, on the other hancf, if thd 



^ plants have fpread fo fni^ch as to fill the'^laflef, and 



' not permit!;?il to run out, they willbe in.?«jual 4^n- 

 ger of fuffering by their confinement from -the heat 

 of the fun in the day time^; therefore it is that I 

 ftiOLild advifc the putting of the feed rather a little la- 

 ter into the hot-bed for the elafles, than thefe which 

 '.arc to be covered with the oil papers.-- Nor will the 

 ■ times here mentioned be fouiiii tpo late, for I have 

 ra£[ifed in England, will, I doubt not, be obje£jted to I put the feeds of Cantaleupe Melons into a hot-bed 



ther inclining to |je meally •, therefore I would pot 

 ' advife the fowing of thefe light feeds, nor thofe 

 Vhich are very old. 



Having thus largely treated of the choic? of the forts, 

 l^jjxnd of the feeds, I fl^aU }iext proceed to the me- 

 " thod of cultivating them, in" order to obtain plenty of 

 cod fruit : the method which I ani^ going to prefcribe 

 very different fromi ^hat has been conft^ntly 



-\' 



t. 



by many; but it is what has been praftifed in all the 

 ood eardens in Holland and Germany, where the 



antaleupc Melon is produced in' great "ptehfy and 



i. perfeftlpn ; ^nd frorrj feyeral yjegirs expenenccj Ihave 

 found this to te the only method in which thefe Me- 

 '. Ions can be cultivated with luccels ; and 1 am Iike- 



*■.-- ^ 



the beft 



tj-r 



way to 



obt 



ain 



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1 . it^Xl . 





I 



it 



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 -'-* 



wife convinced of its t>eihg 



plenty cf any other Tort of Melon. 



It is 9on)gi{)^ j:p Jigar many perfons valuing th^m- 



felves upc^n hav|ne two or three early Melons, which, 

 . "when brqWht to the table are not better than a Pump- i 



Icin, and thefe are procured at a great expe'n2l*and' 



with much trouble ; and in order to have them ripe a 

 j little earlier thw they would naturally come, if fuf- 

 . lered to grow to their luU Iize, the Item upon which 

 ^ the fruit grows is commonly twifted, to prevent the 



ppurilhment ehteririg theTfuit, whereby the growth 

 ; is checked -j'^thep the fruit is closely ravefg^^ with the 



/ 



...^ .,_ 



mowings of Gra.fs-plats, lajd of a fufficient depjh to 

 . caufe a fermentation, by which die fruit becornes 

 V cploured : biJt where this unnatural method is prac- 

 ;, tifed, the fruit has little Seffi, and that ha5 neither 

 ,:moifture^ firmnefs, or flavour^ Jfo th^t ,after four 

 . ■ /months attendance, with a great expence of dung, &c. 



there may, perhaps, ht three orrour brace of Melons 

 .produced, which are fitter for the dunghill than the 



table.. Xherefore my advice is, never to attepipt to 

 .. liave thefe fruit ripe earlier than the middle or latter 



end of June, which is generally foon enough for this 



climate ; and from that time to the end of September, 



they may be had in plenty, if they are fkilfully ma- 

 ;naged ; and when the autumn has continued favour- 



able, I have hadthenx yery good in the middle of 



♦ ^\ t^l^ 



^^M?Jil o'rcJer to continue this fruit fo long, the feeds 

 ...^giuft b^ fown at two' or three different feafonsV tKe firft 



; the third ^of^jy, whiclj were not. trani'planted, but 

 remamed where they were fown, 'and covered with 

 ;^ oiled paper -, and from this bed I cut a large crop of 

 • 4pp4 .fruit, whlch,r5pened about thfe latter end of Au- 

 ,\euft, and continued dll the end of OdpbenV This I 

 only mention, to fhew what has and may be done* 

 though It muft not be always depended on. ^ *^ 

 vBut we next come to the making and preparing of* 

 — ^the beds, or, as the gardeners terpi it, thf ridges, ijato 

 which the plants are to be put out tp remain j^thefe 

 .* Ihould always be placed in a warm fituatipn, where: 

 ; they may be defended from all cold and ftrong winds^ 

 *.;'fbf theeaft tod jjoitji winds are generaUjr;yery trou- 

 J^blefpme in^^be.fpnng of the year ; fo that if the place 

 ■be expofed to thofe afpefts, it will be diificult to ad- 

 mit a proper Ihare of frefti air t6 the young plants ; 

 ^^ Vnd if it is much' expofed to the fouth-weft winds,; 

 ^^^which often are yery^t?Qifterous . in fumpier.and ,au- 

 *,;tumn, tl;\efe will turn up and "dilplace the Vines, 

 -':, whereby they will fuffer greatly ; thereTore the'^eft- 

 fjpofition for thefe t)eds is where they are o^en'to the 

 fouth, or a little inclined to the .paft, and Ihekered 

 '^at Kdiftance by , trees frogi^the pther points: thii 

 '^ place fliould be inclofed with a good Reed fence, 

 which is better for this purpofe than any other inclo- 

 ^, iure, becaufe the winds are "deadened by the Reeds, 

 and" are "hot reverberated back again, as they are by 



■■^. 



%* 



Irf * -SJ 



_ « 



- -. *.. 



- -*"'- 





is, 'pales, and other clofe fences ; but in making 

 the inclofure, it mould be extended to luch diftance 

 every way from the beds, 'as hot to obftrucb the fun*s 

 rays during any part of the day ; this Ihould have a 

 ^door wide enough tpadmit of wheelbarrows pafling,to 

 Carry in dyng, earth, &c. and it fiiould be kept locked, 

 that no perfons flipuld be^allowed to go in but thofe 

 who have bufinefsi for ignorant perfons, having ^f- 

 len' curiofity to look into the beds, open tfie^glafies 



8 U 



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and 



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