252 VINES 
blight, which is usually traceable to some bad 
handling of the plants — syringing during dark 
weather, over-ventilating, or some such cause. 
Here, too, there is no cure when once the disease 
gains a foothold. 
Melons leave the vines when ripe, and, to pre- 
vent them from falling and breaking, some kind 
of support is necessary. A common way is to make 
a sling of rafha and fasten this to the trellis and 
around the melon. An easier plan is to take a 
piece of mosquito netting about six inches square, 
tie strings to the corners, place the netting under 
the melon, then fasten the strings to the trellis, 
being careful not to raise up on the fruit, but 
to merely provide a hammock for it to fall into. 
Good varieties for forcing are Blenheim Orange, 
red-fleshed, and Hero of Lockinge, green-fleshed; 
_ but my best results have been with Invincible 
Scarlet, a splendid, salmon-fleshed variety. Em- 
erald Gem forces fairly well, but is under sized. 
If properly grown, and left on the vine until 
properly ripened, the watermelon (Citrullus vul- 
garis) is an excellent fruit. The best way to 
handle this vine is the method advised for out- 
door musk melon culture —1. ¢., sowing the seed 
in small, individual frames. I might say here 
that any gardener who hasn’t a supply of “melon 
