MAY. 157 



Cucumbers and iMelons. — The former will now be in full bearing, 

 and will require daily attention in stopping, training, and thinning out 

 barren vines ; water frequently with manure water, and occasionally 

 surface the beds with stimulating compost. The heat by night should 

 not decline below 70° — but may reach 85° by day ; shading will be 

 necessary in bright weather. Keep the bottom heat steady, and the 

 atmosphere about them damp. A sowing may now be made in a cold 

 I'rame, for ridging out towards the end of the month. IMelons will now 

 be fast advancing ; where these are grown by hot water pipes the 

 requisite heat, both bottom and top, can be maintained without much 

 trouble, but when grown in dung pits, considerable care will be re- 

 quired to keep up a steady bottom heat. This, however, mnst be 

 attended to, even till the fruit is ripe, for on it the whole success hinges ; 

 anything which gives a check to the root is intensely felt by the leaves, 

 and acts upon the fruit ; it is therefore indispensable to success, that 

 the bottom heat be kept steady, to preserve a uniform growth at the 

 root. Carefull}'- train the young vines, and stop them when grown, 

 three feet from the parent stem ; the laterals from these will show fruit, 

 which should be stopped, one or two joints above the young fruit. The 

 number of fruit to leave on a plant will depend on the room it occupies, 

 from three to seven may be stated as the limit ; when the fruit begins 

 to swell, thin out the crop to the desired number. One great point in 

 Melon culture is to keep the foliage healthy ; the leaves are very 

 dehcate, and easily injured either by rough handling or insects, and 

 both should be guarded against. If the loam in which they grow is 

 tolerably heavy, and a layer of tiles or other porous materials (not 

 slates) is laid on the surface of the bed, but little water will be 

 required ; the soil, however, should by no means be permitted to become 

 ^ dry, but it will retain its moisture better w^ien covered, and the fruit is 

 kept free from dirt and damp. Sow for succession al crops ; temperature 

 as for Cucumbers, but with a drier atmosphere. 



Dahlias. — Repot into four-inch pots, w^ithout loss of time, using 

 good free soil. (See paper in another part of our present number.) 

 Seedlings should have plenty of room to grow this month, that they 

 may become well hardened before they are planted out. The prin- 

 cipal thing to avoid is their receiving a check, when first planted in 

 their blooming quarters. 



Flower Garden and Shrubberry. — Spring planting of evergreens will 

 this year be a ticklish job. If it must be done, better wait for rain, even 

 to the middle of May, than attempt it under present conditions. Autumn 

 planted trees, &c., must be well mulched and watered. Now will be 

 a busy time with planting out the beds and borders of the flower gar- 

 den. The late dry weather has been favourable for getting them 

 properly prepared for planting, by additions of suitable composts ; 

 unless tliere is urgent necessity for planting, defer it till rain falls ; or 

 if compelled to plant, let them be well protected by evergreen branches 

 stuck in amongst them to shelter them, unless you can hoop them over 

 and mat them. In the meantime, well harden oft' the stock, that the 

 check of transplanting may not be so severely felt afterwards. Look 

 over the beds and borders of herbacious plants, and fill up vacancies 



