January IS, 1S72. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTlTxE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



CUCUMBER AND MELON CULTUBE. 



r N important con.sideration in most gardens 

 is bow to insure a supply of tliese for the 

 longest time ; and, indeed, where proper ac- 

 commodation is afforded, the first-named can 

 readily be obtained in eveiy month of the 

 year. The form of the structures in which 

 they are grown is of prunary unportance, 

 and of these ordinary garden frames with 

 moveable hghts do veiy well for summer 

 work, but for early and late supplies they 

 are altogether out of the question. I have had a good 

 deal of experience in this matter, and would unhesitat- 

 ingly recommend the half-span foim of house as being 

 the most useful and best adapted for our purpose. Those 

 at Loxford Hall are of tliis form, 11 feet wide, and 

 10 feet from the path to apex of the roof, with front sashes 

 made to open outwards. All the top hghts slide, all the 

 back lights are fixed, and ventilators are placed in the 

 back wall. The beds are 5 feet wide, and receive bottom 

 heat fi'oni two rows of 3-inch pipes. The internal atmo- 

 sphere of the house is warmed by four rows of 4-iuch 

 pipes, with which we maintain during severe frost a night 

 temperature of G5°, without overlieating the pipes or using 

 any outside covering. 



Our supply of Cucumbers from Christmas onwards is 

 obtained from plants sown or raised from cuttings early 

 in September. These grow on until they fairly cover the 

 trelhs, but they do not bear until the days lengthen, when 

 they commence to fruit and continue to do so until Cteist- 

 mas comes round again. The old .shoots must, of course, 

 be thinned-out, and young fraitful ones allowed to re- 

 place them, and rich surface-dressings must be given 

 when the plants show signs of exhaustion. I do not 

 know a better variety to afford a continuous supply than 

 that known as Eolhsson's Telegraph. I have gi-own 

 Dale's Conqueror, Hamilton's Invincible, Pearson's Long 

 Gun, and Blue Gown, and have obtained handsome fruit 

 from them ; but these, though certainly very showy and 

 well adapted for exhibition, do not keep up a supply all 

 the year round in the way that Telegi-aph does. Of course 

 it is not necessary to gi-ow Cucumbers in such a lioiise as 

 this during the summer and early autumn mouths, if 

 dung frames are available, as a three-hght frame wUI 

 help to bring forth suf&cient for a very large family. The 

 houses may be used for growing Melons. These, I think, 

 do much better in a house of this description than in 

 fi-ames, the fruit being at aU tunes of better quality. The 

 first lot of Melon seeds should be sown early in January, 

 and under favourable circumstances fruit may be ex- 

 pected from them early in May. Should, however, cold 

 cloudy weather intervene early in the year, it is uphill 

 work for the young Melon plants, and under such circum- 

 stances I have had those sown a month later come in as 

 early as those sown first. The details of culture may be 

 summed-up in a few words, and is the same in each case. 

 From the brickljats, which are placed over the hot-water 

 pipes for l)ottom heat, to the siu'face of the bed, the depth 

 No. 664.-VOL. XXH., New Seeieb. 



is 1 foot 6 inches ; and over the brickbats there is first 

 placed a layer of turf with the grass side under to prevent 

 the compost mixing with the substratum, and thus filling 

 up the air spaces. Only half the border is filled up at 

 first, and a wall of turf erected parallel with the path 

 seri'es to keep the compost in its place. The other half 

 of the bed is filled with fermenting material, wliich not 

 only warms the compost, but creates a gentle bottom heat,, 

 and by so doing gives an excellent opportunity for raising 

 young Melon plants or Vmes fi-om eyes, striking cuttings,, 

 and many other purposes. I generally sow about a dozen 

 Melon seeds in a 5-inch pot, and as soon as the young 

 seedlings are sufficiently strong — that is, when the tv/o 

 seed leaves have grown to their full size — pot them off, one 

 each in the centre of a 5-inch pot, and keep them in the 

 bottom heat until they are ready for planting-out. The 

 bed wUl by this time be well warmed and ready to receive 

 the plants. Place them about 15 inches fi-om the front 

 wall, putting a stick by each plant to wliich to train them 

 until they reach the trellis. , The material and fomi of 

 this latter is important. 



I know a range of most excellent Melon and Cucumber 

 houses wliich were built regardless of expense on the 

 most modern principles ; one fault only was apparent to 

 me on seeing them, and that was in the treUis employed to 

 train the plants to. This consisted of a series of wooden 

 frames which were made so that they could be fixed at 

 9, 11, 1.3, or 15 inches from the glass. This was so far 

 right, but the fault lay m using laths an inch wide, fixed 

 in a longitudinal direction witli others crossing them at 

 6 inches apart, wliich I fancy vei-y much obscured the 

 light so deficient in January and Febniary. Here we 

 use the same sort of moveable frames, except that stout 

 wire is used instead of laths, and the trellis is moved close 

 to the glass in winter, and withdrawn to the fiu-thest point 

 in the summer months. 



Wlien the young plants reach the trelhs, the leading 

 shoot is not stopped, liut trained up untd it is about 1 foot 

 6 inches from the top of the trelhs, when the point should 

 be pinched-out. Side shoots will form rapidly after tliis, 

 on most of winch will be one or two female fiowers, and 

 when four or six of them are open at one time the pollen 

 of the male flowers should be apphed to them. Tliis is 

 essential, because if one or two flowers are set before 

 others that are tliree or four days in advance in point of 

 development, those which are set will take the lead, whilst 

 the others will faO to make satisfactory progi-ess. As soon 

 as the young Melon plants are pinched, the fermenting 

 material should be removed, and its place supplied with 

 suitable compost. Cucumbers are treated in the same 

 way as soon as they reach the top of the trellis. 



Melons managed on this plan seldom canlfer close to 

 the surface of the bed when the fruit is on the point of 

 ripening; and most growers know the trouble they have 

 with them from tliis cause if trained to the surface of the 

 beds. A\aien the plants are attacked by this pest, dry 

 freslily-slaked lime should be apphed to the affected parts 

 umnechately, and will arrest it. The Cucumber disease 

 mentioned by Mr. B. Fish and others has not, I am truly 

 No. 1216.— Vol. XLVII., Old Semes. 



