M E I. 



M E L 



Tliev frequently live through the winter in 

 warm borders; but ii is always proper to keep 

 a plant or two in pots, sheltered under a frame 

 during that season. 



The first sort is useful for various domestic 

 purposes, and the others ornamental in the 

 borders, clumps, and other parts, as well as 

 affording variety among potted plains. 



MELIT'l IS, a genus containing a plant of 

 the flowery perennial kind. 



[t belongs to the class and order Diili/riamia 

 Gymnospermia, and ranks in the natural order 

 of f'erticillatcP. 



The characters arc : that the calyx is a one- 

 leafed perianthiuni, hell-shaped, round, straight, 

 with a two-lipped mouth: upper lip higher, 

 emarginate, acute; lower shorter, bilid, acute, 

 with die divisions gaping : the corolla one-pe- 

 talled, ringent : tube much narrower than the 

 calyx: opening scarcely thicker than the tube : 

 upper lip ercct^ roundish, entire : lower spread- 

 ing, trifid, blunt ; middle segment larger, flat, 

 entire : the stamina have four filaments, awl- 

 shaped, under the upper lip, the middle ones 

 shorter than the two outer: anthers converging 

 by pairs in form of a cross, bilid, blunt : the 

 pistillum is a blunt germ, four-cleft, villose : 

 style filiform, the length and situation of the 

 stamens : stigma bifid, acute : there is no peri- 

 carpium : calyx unchanged, containing the 

 seeds at the bottom : the seeds four. 



The species cultivated is : M. Melissophyl- 

 lum, Bastard Baum. 



It has a perennial root, sending up in the 

 spring three, four, or more stems, a foot and a 

 half high or more, upright, with a few branches 

 at the" base : the whole plant is hairy : the 

 leaves opposite, petioled, ovate, elliptic, or 

 ovate-lanceolate, somewhat pointed, unevenly 

 and bluntly serrate, the serratures terminating in 

 purplish glands, slightly villose, wrinkled : pe- 

 tioles channelled aliove, hirsute, united at the 

 base; the flowers large, handsome, growing 

 chiefly on one side, in half whorls, about six 

 lowers together, of a purplish white colour. It 

 is a native of several parts of Europe, flowering 

 in May or June. 



Much honey is secreted from a gland that 

 encircles the base of the germ ; it is a favourite 

 plant with bees. 



There is a variety smaller in all respects, with 

 the leaves ovate and heart-shaped, the flowers 

 not so large, and usually of a pale red, but 

 sometimes white, which is a native of Switzer- 

 land, lice. 



Cul'urc. — These plants are capable of being 

 increased by part ing the roots and planting 

 them out early in the autumn where they are to 



remain. The roots should not be parted oftener 

 than every third year. W hen seeds can be 

 procured] they may also be raised by sowing 

 them in the early spring, where they are to re- 

 main. The plants succeed best in a loamy soil 

 and eastern asi 



They afford ornament in the borders and 

 other part- of pleasure-grounds. 



MELON 7 . See Ci ci mis. 



MELON-GROUND, the space or portion of 

 ground m the kitchen-garden, or other place, 

 appropriate! to the culture of Melons ami 

 other vegetables that require artificial heat. See 

 Garden, and Melonart. 



MLLONAKY, the portion of ground in the 

 kitchen-garden principally allotted for the busi- 

 ness of early and general hot-bed work, in the 

 culture of Melons and Cucumbers as well as 

 occasionally in other framing culture. 



These places are mostly inclosed by some sort 

 of fence, and are particularly convenient and 

 useful, as in the practice of hot-bed culture 

 there is unavoidably a considerable littering oc- 

 casioned at times, by means of the necessary 

 supplies of hot-dung, straw, litter, and other 

 materials, both in the making of the beds and 

 after-culture : which by this means being con- 

 fined to a particular part, the whole is perform- 

 ed more conveniently, and without incommoding 

 the ceconomy of the other parts of the garden. 



They are also very useful when properly- 

 chosen in the driest and warmest situations, in 

 the advantage of having the hot-beds on dry 

 ground, and sheltered from cutting winds, with 

 the full benefit of the whole day's sun, as well 

 as in being more secure. 



In considerable gardens, the places allotted for 

 this use are sometimes of such extent, as to have 

 the hot-houses, or forcing-houses, and other ap- 

 purtenances of that kind, where culture by arti- 

 ficial heat is required, near together, by which 

 time and trouble is saved. 



In the choice of a place for this purpose, 

 some part of the warmest, best-sheltered, dry 

 quarter of the garden, which is well defended 

 from the northerly and north-easterly winds, 

 and where the ground is dry at all seasons-, not li- 

 able to inundation or the stagnation of water, ami 

 conveniently situated for bringing in dung, tan, 

 earth, Sec, should be fixed upon. 



And if, with these advantages, it lies rather 

 a little higher or very gently sloping towards 

 some lower part, it will be more proper, espe- 

 cially when towards the full sun from iv 

 setting, so as to admit of ranging the hot-b 

 longitudinally east and west, or as nearly in thai 

 direction as possible. SeeGAUDLN. 



The extent or dimensions must beaccordi' 



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