CULTURE OF MELONS AT THE NORTH. 



SO sensitive to the slightest injury in the process of transplanting, or change of location, 

 as the melon. 



To obviate this impediment, and yet to obtain the fruit at the season desired, I have 

 adopted with success, the following method, which may, perhaps, prove interesting to 

 those who attempt the melon culture anywhere north of New-York city. 



About the 20th of April, and sooner, if the season will permit, I spread a generous 

 dressing of Avell rotted manure, broadcast over the ground intended to grow the vines 

 upon, and plow it under. Let the drag or cultivator follow the ploughing, until the soil 

 is finely pulverised. The hills should not be less than seven feet apart. Procure two bush- 

 els of highway sand,* and place that quantity where each hill is to be grown. If this can- 

 not be easily obtained, sand thrown upon the bank, and left there by running water, is 

 equallj^ appropriate, or sand dug out of the earth, two feet below the surface, is nicely 

 adapted to the purpose. At any rate, find sand, and nothing but sand, to make the hills 

 of, and if its energies were never taxed to grow any crop whatever, so much the better. 

 Spread the soil thus supplied, over a surface of two feet in diameter. This will raise the 

 hill five or six inches above the surrounding surface, which will favor the growth of the 

 melon, though it might injure most other vegetables. Plant the seed half an inch deep. 

 This will insure moisture suflicieut for the purpose of germination; and if the seed of any ve- 

 getable whatever, be buried deeper than it need be, to secure that amount of humidity, the 

 product will not be so abundant, nor will it be perfected as soon as it would, had it not 

 had an unnatural obstacle to surmount and overcome. I should have said, that before de- 

 positing the seed, the sand referred to should be thoroughly incorporated with powdered 

 charcoal, saturated with urine, and mixed with a fortieth part of its bulk of guano or 

 fowl manure. This can easily be prepared six or eight weeks in advance of the time when 

 it will be wanted. Sprinkle as much coal dust over the surface of the hill as will give it 

 the dark color of charcoal, and then over the place where the seeds have been buried lay 

 a pane of glass flat upon the ground. Now, if those seeds do not germinate in five or seven 

 days, it will be because the sun does not show himself. Whenever the orb of day peeps 

 out, the germinating process will proceed with all the rapidity that it would in a hot-bed 

 under the most favorable condition. 



Uusually, in a week, the glass must be raised to let the plants through, and placed on 

 four bricks arranged about the vines, where they will do finely until about the middle of 

 May, when the glass should be taken away, and a box two feet over and six inches deep, 

 covered with coarse milinet or cheese binding must be put over each hill. This will prevent 

 the evaporation of moisture, and keep the cold winds from the plants, and it is the only 

 sure protection against the injuries usually inflicted by the striped bug. If the boxes are 

 more than half a foot deep, they will shade the vines too much, and cause them to run 

 up tall and slender, to their permanent injury. If the ground about the hill is kept black 

 with coal powder, and the season prove favorable, the Citron Melon will be full}^ ripe in 

 112 days from planting; without the coal it will be two weeks later, and not quite up to 

 standard in flavor. The coal dust keeps off that great enemy, the cut-worm. It is not 

 olfensive to the worm, but gets up such a degree of heat that it will turn away to avoid it. 

 The boxes should not be removed until the vines begin to be cramped in their growth by 

 them. The weeds may be kept down, and the soil stirred easily until the middle of June, 

 by passing a cultivator between the rows. This process should be repeated often. 



If the manure, or a part of it, is spread over the ground, instead of being all put in the 



* Our correspondent proceeds on the supposition that the soil is a loamy one — if naturally very sandy, of course this 

 is not needed. Ed. 



