July 16, 1874. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICOLTDRE AND COTTAGE GABDENER, 



47 



MELON-GEOWING AND JUDGING. 



HAD made some notes with a view of 

 writing a short article on Melon-growing 

 before I saw the paper on judging IVIelons 

 by JMr. G. Abbey, in the number published 

 July 2nd. With your permission I will 

 briefly criticise a few of Mr. Abbey's re- 

 marks, and, as he says ho should be glad 

 to have the views of others, he will kindly 

 excuse me for saying that in many points 

 my vi ews are quite in an opposite dii'ection 

 to his own. If I am not qualiiied to speak it is not 

 through want of practice, for growing Melons is about 

 the most important thing I have to do, that luscious 

 fruit being in almost daily request here during summer 

 and autumn. I have at present five houses planted in 

 succession, two of which are planted for the second time 

 this season. 



I partially agree with Mr. Abbey when he says that 

 flavour should not be the sole test in judging a Melon. 

 A noble Melon is a great addition to the dessert, espe- 

 cially where Pines are not grown ; but I cannot conceive 

 anything more disappointing to the connoisseur, who has 

 been watching and longing for a slice all dinner-time, than 

 to find when the fruit is cut that it is not so good as it 

 looked. Many people there are who do not know what 

 a good Melon is, and can enjoy an inferior one with the 

 same relish as children eat Crab.? and sour Gooseberries. 

 I often envy them ; for do what I will, when I have once 

 tasted the flavour of a good fruit or a good vegetable, it 

 always haunts my imagination, and I cannot be quite 

 satisfied with anything that has even a shade of inferiority 

 about it. If there are twelve points in judging a Melon, 

 I would certainly give eight to flavour. 



Mr. Abbey says, " The smallest examples, not the 

 consequence of overcropping, have the highest flavour;" 

 and again, " high colour is no criterion of flavour." This 

 is totally opposed to my experience, not only of Melons, 

 but of all kinds of fruit. I have generally found that the 

 most perfectly-developed and highest-coloured fruit of any 

 given kind was also the best flavoured. On the other 

 hand, I do not think that netting, ribs, or hard skin, will 

 afford any guide as to flavour. The Melon is about the 

 only fruit we cultivate of which we cannot tell the quality 

 by the exterior, and to be judged correctly it must be cut 

 and tasted, even were everyone to exhibit the same va- 

 riety ; for in Mr. Abbey's own words, "in many cases it 

 is only a question of culture." 



Culture is everything : I will now give my mode, which 

 I daresay does not differ materially from that of other 

 successful growers. I happen, however, to have good 

 houses, good soil, and I grow a good sort. The sort is 

 that known as Meredith's Cashmere, four fruits of which, 

 since reading Mr. Abbey's paper, I have had the curiosity 

 to measure and weigh. Their average girth, measuring 

 both ways, and taking the mean, is 1 foot 11 J inches, and 

 their average weight, 6 lbs. 12rV ozs. Mr. Abbey's rule 

 for ascertaining weight by measurement comes pretty 



No. 691.— Vol. XXVII., New Series. 



near in this case ; but weight depends a great deal on the 

 sort, and its culture. We never have a fruit of this kind 

 that is not eatable, unless it is during the dull days of 

 late autumn. It will be said, probably, the Cashmere 

 Melon cannot be grown to GJ lbs. without being unduly 

 fed. I can only say that the plants have never had the 

 smallest particle of manure, either liquid or solid ; the 

 soil they are growing in averages exactly 2 cubic feet for 

 each plant, and is placed on a hard bottom of stones and 

 ashes. The plants have borne six or seven fruit each. 



I make my first sowing early in February, placing the 

 seeds singly in small pots filled with heavy loam ; these 

 are placed in strong heat in a light situation, and as soon 

 as the little plants begin to make their first rough leaf 

 they are shifted into larger pots, and afterwards planted, 

 6 or 7 feet apart, on little hills formed of very heavy loam 

 pressed together as closely as possible. As they grow 

 the main stem is trained straight up the trellis, and 

 without any pinching or stopping it throws out laterals 

 10 inches or a foot apart, which are trained at right 

 angles to the main stem. These laterals, when they have 

 nearly filled the space allotted to them, are stopped, and 

 they in turn produce sublaterals, which invariably bear 

 female blossoms. In the early part of the seaFon it is 

 necessary to fertilise the blossoms ; afterwards, when the 

 outside air is more genial and abundance of air can be 

 safely admitted, they will fertilise themselves. 



The knife is never required for Melon plants if they 

 are grown properly. The shoots should never be allowed 

 to grow where they are not required; it is a waste of 

 energy to allow them to form and then cut them off. 



I BOW about once a fortnight from March to June, so 

 that I always have plants ready whenever a house is at 

 liberty. Some plants are grown to a large size in 12 or 

 13-inch pots, to follow other crops in the same house. 

 They are easily transplanted at any time by placing them 

 in position and breaking the pots. 



Melons are not very particular as regards temperature ; 

 mine have a range of from about 50° to 130°. When they 

 are setting their flowers, however, the flower.s and young 

 fruits are apt to get scorched if the temperature rises too 

 high. I therefore, as my bouses are rather short of means 

 for ventilation, find it necessary to shade them for a few 

 days at the time of impregnation. 



The Cashmere Melon has two drawbacks — it is rather 

 diflicult to set, and it is liable to crack open. The latter 

 failure I counteract by strangling its neck or cutting 

 three-parts through the stem when nearly full-grown. 

 The setting is easily managed on the sitblaterals, but, as 

 far as my experience goes, not otherwise. I often try a 

 fresh variety in competition with the Caslimere, but at 

 the end of the season always receive the same com- 

 mand — return to the old favourite. — Wm. Taylor. 



TABLE DECOEATIONS. 



Allow me to make a protest against encouraging the habit 

 of making table decorations too flimsy and too transitory in 

 their nature. Having been to a good many shows lately. 



No. 1816 —Vol. LII., Olb Sbeibs. 



