196 OF RAISING MELONS. SECT. XIV. 



their leaves difturbed or damaged, to put them in order. 

 A piece of tile, or a finall earthen plate, under each 

 fruit, is proper, to keep it from the damD mould, and 

 to aflift its ripening by reflected heat. Three (at the 

 moft four) melons are as many as mould be left to grow 

 upon one plant; and thofe are beft which are fituated 

 ueareft the ftem, as remote ones are not fo well nourifh- 

 cd. Do not let a great deal of vine grow below them, 

 left they be too much robbed, and let them be flopped 

 as before directed, for when there is a great length of 

 vine above, nature pufhes towards the extremity, and 

 palling by the fruit below, forms more above, fome- 

 t unes to the total lofs of the firft fet fruit. 



Keep mould round the fides of the frame, to earth up 

 the plants to the very leaves, and round the hills, (a 

 kittle at a time) as the plants increafe, and do not enrth 

 all over the bed before it is neceiTary ; for full earthing 

 at firft is apt to occafion burning, and afterwards to 

 damp the heat of the bed too much, diminifhing alfo 

 the warmth of the air about the plants. When the bed 

 is earthed all over, prefs the mould all round the fides of 

 the frame, about fix inches wide, to make it firm, that 

 the roots may. not get too foon to the wood, and mat 

 too much againft it, which occafions ficklinels. 



Do not think of cultivating early melons, without 

 plenty of dung both for beds and linings. The particu- 

 lars of management, concerning covering, /hading, air, 

 lining, flapping the young plants, jetting the fruit, &c; 

 and to guard againft burning ^mifleaming, may be feen 

 tn the directions already given for cucumbers ; only lefs 

 air, and much lefs watering, will do for melons. Keep 

 them clofe (hut down on nights, when the heat of the 

 bed is become moderate, and cover well. As melons, 

 therefore, are kept rather dry, they ihould be (haded a 

 little in very funny weather by a (ingle mat, for two or 

 three hours in the middle of the day; i. e. when the 

 feafon is forward, efpecially, if the bed itlell be in a 



hot ftate. 



Melons 



