1873.] MELON -CULTURE. 553 



water, but sodden soil will cause the buds to drop. Cytisus, Coro- 

 nillas, Euphorbias, Acacias, Poinsettias, will come in well after the 

 Chrysanthemums. Keep greenhouses and plant- pits dry and clean; 

 40° to 45° is warm enough. Use no unnecessary fire-heat. 



M. T. 



MELON-CULTURE. 



The Melon is a fruit highly esteemed in its season where a large 

 dessert is required. Although, unlike the Grape, the Pine-Apple, or the 

 Peach, it is not a general favourite, I think the principal reason for 

 this is, that we so seldom get them in the highest state of perfection. 

 A badly grown and ripened Melon is certainly the most insipid of 

 fruits ; but, on the other hand, when it is well grown and cared for 

 through every stage of growth, it has qualities appreciated by some if 

 not by all ; and with the hope of helping the lovers of the Melon who 

 have not had the opportunity of being made thoroughly conversant 

 with its culture, these few remarks are penned. 



Span-roofed houses we consider best for them, with a bed 18 

 inches deep on each side of the house, having a flow and return hot- 

 water pipe right round for bottom-heat. Some prefer water-tanks, 

 but with us they do well with merely the pipe. For early fruit the 

 seed ought to be sown about the beginning of January in pots filled 

 with rather free soil, the seeds only just covered, and plunged in a bot- 

 tom-heat of 75° or 80°, with a minimum top-heat of 70°, or 5° lower in 

 very severe weather. The soil will most likely have enough moisture 

 in itself to cause them to germinate ; but as soon as they appear above 

 ground let them have water, and from that time until the fruit shows 

 signs of ripening they ought not to be allowed to suffer for want of 

 water. In from ten to twelve days after sowing, or when they 

 have made the first leaf, they will be ready for potting off singly into 

 3 or 4 inch pots, putting them into the soil down to the seed-leaf by 

 twisting them round the pot, if too long. Use stiff" turfy loam, with 

 a little leaf-soil and river-sand. In all subsequent pottings the loam 

 without any mixture will be suitable. In making ready the bed for 

 the first two plantings, put about 1 foot of stable-litter and leaves in 

 the bottom of the bed, treading it in quite firm, and leaving it in a 

 ridge along the centre, which will give a good natural bottom-heat, as 

 well as put stamina into the plants as they advance in growth. For 

 later successions we prefer half-rotted manure from the pig-yard, as 

 there is more strength in it, and at this time there is less need of bot- 

 tom-heat. After the dung is in, chop up as much good stiff loam as 

 will cover the bed all over about 3 inches, the ridge to be 6 inches 



