SECT. XIV.- OF. RAISING MELONS. 199 



As the bed (inks, and the roots fpread, tyke care to 

 add a good thicknefs of mould around the hill, tor the 

 plants to flrike into, and to keep them up: This may 

 be put in a week or ten days, and it will keep out cold 

 air and wet from the dung: but it is bell not done at 

 fir ft. When the plants fpread to the extent ot the bed, 

 the ground about it fhould be dug over, and rotten 

 dung buried to raife it to the level of the bed; but, 

 perhaps, this work has been fuperfeded by the necefnty 

 ot a lining to throw in heat. 



If the plains are forward enough to ridge out in 

 April, or beginning of Mny y it may be proper to make 

 thefe beds on the level furfaee, or nearly io, for the fake 

 of lining; but if later, they m-.y be funk as directed 

 above, or deeper ftill, in a dry foil. Remember it will 

 be necerfary to line, if there appears any likelihood of a 

 want of heat, before the fruit is Jet, and got a little 

 forward. Do it,in time. 



If two ridges of melon plants, let there be-four feet 

 (or more) of alley between them, and then a lining may- 

 be applied of that width to heat both beds; and this 

 middle heat may be made ufe of to raife plants for the 

 third erop oi cue umber u or tender annual flowers, pur- 

 jlane, &e. Give ridged out plants air on the fouth fide. 

 They will need more wafer when in the ridges than in 

 frames, and give it widtj, but little about the ftem, or 

 hardly there at all ; nor let it be applied cold, though a 

 fmall degree of warmth from -the Juri; or otherwife will 

 do. Tins crop need never be Inaded but when the 

 leaves hang. When the plants cannot be contained 

 under ttoe gianes, let them be carefully trained out, and 

 covered with mats all over on nights, and. on days, in 

 bad weather, till Juh,\ particularly if much rain falls. 



With large oiled paper frames this work of the Jecond 

 crop of melons may be very well managed. The plants 

 ihculd be kept under hand glafles till too big for tbem, 

 and then the paper lights may be put on, which con- 

 taining the runners till high fummer, they will be fafe. 



K4 Yet 



