69 



MELODY. 



MEMOIRS. 



670 



tribasie radical. It has not been isolated in a state of purity, but its 

 compound with hydrogen (H 3 ,C 18 N J3 ) is readily obtained on passing 

 sulphuretted hydrogen through a solution of meUonide of mercury in 

 hydrocyanic acid. The sulphide of mercury is separated by filtration. 

 and the hydrocyanic acid by the application of a gentle heat. The 

 resulting solution of hydromellunic acid, or Jiydromdlon, has a very 

 acid taste and reaction, and decomposes the carbonates with efferves- 

 cence. On evaporation, white nocks first separate, and a white slightly 

 crystalline residue is ultimately obtained. 



Neutral mdlonide of potassium (K 3 ,C 1S N 13 + 10 aq.), obtained as 

 above, ia converted into cyanuric acid by continued ebullition with 

 hydrochloric acid. Heated with potash it is changed into CYAMELUEIO 

 ACID. Two other mellonides of potassium also exist. A monometallic 

 salt containing KH. ! ,C 1 ,N 1 3, + 6 aq., and a bimetallic salt containing 

 K a H,C I8 N 13 . 



JHellonide of silrer (Ag.j.CjjN',,) is a white precipitate obtained on 

 boiling neutral mellonide of potassium with nitrate of silver. MeUon- 

 ide of mercury also is white, and obtained under similar circumstances 

 with bichloride of mercury, and other mellonides may be produced in 

 a similar manner. 



MELODY (i*f \ifila.), in music, is Air or Song a succession of single 

 diatonic sounds, in measured time. 



Melody and Air are synonymous terms in modern music, whatever 

 their difference may have been in that of ancient Greece ; we therefore 

 shall add but little to what we have already said on the subject under 

 the word Am, to which the reader is particularly referred. 



The question which exercises most influence over the mind, melody 

 or harmony ? has often been agitated, Rousseau taking the lead, who 

 certainly has treated it eloquently, but inconsistently, acting the part 

 of advocate on both sides, and on each refutes himself. He seems to 

 admit, and thus to agree with Metastasio, that music is a kind of 

 language, but overlooks the fact, that, like every other language, it 

 can only affect those who understand it by either studying its princi- 

 ples, as in the case of the few, or by frequently hearing, and thus 

 becoming empirically acquainted with it, as in the case of the many. 

 He does not seem to have considered that simple music, that is, 

 melody, like simple language, makes most impression on the unlearned 

 majority, because easily understood ; while complex music, namely, 

 harmony, like high- wrought rhetoric, excites more pleasure in the minds 

 of the instructed minority, who enter into its combinations and per- 

 ceive all its relations. Melody and harmony may be said to generate 

 each other, the one being a selection of single sounds from a harmonic 

 source, the other a union of two or more melodies simultaneously 

 heard. Thus both are closely connected; and Dr. Burney has re- 

 marked, that after melody and harmony have been heard together, 

 nothing can compensate for their separation. 



MKI.OGALLIC ACID. [MELAGALLIC ACID.] 



MKLON (C&cumii melo) is an herbaceous, succulent, climbing or 

 trailing annual, cultivated for its fruit in hot Eastern countries from 

 time immemorial. In regions where most cooling vegetables disappear 

 on the approach of great summer heat and drought, the melon, together 

 with the water-melon (Cucumtacilriillus), become essential substitutes. 

 The antiquity of the cultivation of melons being so remote, and their 

 dispersion over large portions of Asia and Africa so extensive, their 

 indigenous locality cannot be traced at the present day. They were 

 both introduced into England during the latter part of the 16th 

 century, but it is not known whence. 



If the roots be favourably situated, so far as moisture is concerned, 

 the melon will bear a tropical heat ; and, generally speaking, it will not 

 succeed perfectly in the open ah- beyond the 4 3rd .parallel of latitude. 

 Its range of atmospheric temperature may be estimated at between 70 

 and 80. The medium in which the roots are placed should of course 

 be more uniform, and about 75 of bottom heat will be found both 

 safe and efficacious. 



Light is so essential, that unless the plants are kept near the glass, 

 no tolerable degree of flavour will be acquired. As much of the direct 

 rays of the sun should be admitted as the plants will endure, more 

 especially when the fruit is approaching maturity. A screen may be 

 occasionally necessary, but it should be of very thin texture. 



If melon plants were not adapted for a dry atmosphere during a con- 

 siderable portion of the day at least, they could not exist in the parch- 

 ing climates in which they naturally grow ; and therefore a free 

 admission of air is to be recommended, so far as is consistent with the 

 maintenance of a high temperature. The health of the plant soon 

 suffers if evaporation by the foliage is not freely carried on ; for it is 

 found that when it is obstructed by continued moist foggy weather, 

 disease commences, and mildew ens'ues. The regulation of moisture in 

 the artificial atmosphere hi which melons are grown, under an English 

 sky, is, of all others, the most insurmountable difficulty. Covering the 

 soil with slates or tiles or with clean gravel has been successfully 

 resorted to as a mode of preventing the air hi the frame from being at 

 alf times saturated with moisture exhaled from the soil. 



Melons will thrive if their roots are actually allowed to extend 

 themselves in water ; and hi the case of the floating-beds on which 

 they are grown in some parts of Persia, they find their way through 

 the mould and its support into the water. But a drier medium for the 

 roots becomes essential for good flavour in the comparatively close 

 mode which hi forcing them it is necessary to adopt in this country, hi 



order to prevent the dissipation of heat, which would otherwise take 

 place from a limited atmosphere the temperature and elasticity of 

 which are so much above that by which it is surrounded. 



_ About four months may be allowed, on an average, when grown in 

 pits, for the period between the sowing of melons and the ripening of 

 the fruit. The middle of January is found to be early enough to 

 sow ; and the young plants are so exceedingly tender, that accidents 

 are then very likely to occur to them. It is on this account necessary 

 to make successive sowings, in order to be prepared for replacement, if 

 requisite, and also for continuing the supply throughout the summer. 

 A sowing for the latest crops will require to be made in April. 



The seeds should be sown in shallow pans, and transplanted into 

 small pots when their seed-leaves are about half an inch broad. It is 

 best to put only a single transplanted melon into each pot. While 

 this is done in a separate frame, that which is intended for their future 

 growth and fruiting is prepared for then- reception, by placing smaU 

 hills, rather more than a foot high, of light rich mould below each 

 sash, and nearer to the back of the frame than the front. Care must 

 be taken that this mould be of the proper temperature before the young 

 plants are introduced, which is to take place when they have made a 

 few rough leaves. As the roots extend, more soil should be added of 

 a gradually stronger nature ; and ultimately the roots should have a 

 depth of about 15 inches of such soil. When water is required, it 

 should never be much below 70, nor should it exceed 78. It should 

 not be applied when the air of the frame is at a high temperature from 

 sun-heat. Shading is necessary immediately after watering, when the 

 sun's rays have any great degree of power ; unless this precaution is 

 attended to, scorching will be induced, and the red spider will be 

 likely to attack the foliage ; other insects to be feared are aphides and 

 thrips. The priucipal diseases to which melons are subject, are gum 

 and canker. All are more frequent in the plants fruiting on hot-beds, 

 than when treated as climbers. 



With regard to pruning and training the runners or vines of melon 

 plants, it is necessary that a sufficient number of these for filling the 

 frame should be made to ramify as close to the base of the main stem 

 as can be conveniently effected by pinching off the top of the latter 

 when it has made a few joints, or four leaves above the cotyledons ; and 

 the laterals, which in consequence become developed, may be again 

 subdivided by a similar process. Blossoms of a monoecious character 

 will soon after make their appearance. The male blossoms, or at least 

 a portion of them, must be retained for the purpose of fertilisation till 

 the requisite quantity of fruit is fairly set, after which those shoots 

 which have only male blossoms may be dispensed with, in order to 

 afford more space for the foliage connected with the fruit. The ex- 

 tremities of the fruit-bearing vines are stopped by pinching at the 

 second or third joint above the fruit. A piece of slate or tile is placed 

 under each fruit for the purpose of keeping it from the damp soil. 

 The heat must be fully maintained, or even considerably increased, as 

 the fruit approaches maturity, in order to allow the admission of a 

 more free circulation of air ; but if at the same time the bottom heat 

 be allowed to decline, the plants will become diseased and faU a prey 

 to the mildew or to the red spider. 



A very great improvement, however, in the mode of cultivation has 

 been effected by the adoption of the plan of training them off the beds to 

 trellises under glass-houses. The fruit has thus a better opportunity 

 of ripening ; and can frequently be cut a month earlier than if ripened 

 on the bed ; besides being less liable to damp or rot. The flavour is 

 also finer. By this mode of cultivation, likewise, melons can be 

 brought to fruit in winter, though they will then scarcely acquire the 

 flavour given by a bright sun. 



The varieties of melons can scarcely be kept permanent, particularly 

 where many are cultivated, as they hybridise so readily. One of the 

 finest is the Beechwood. Cuthill's Early Cantalope, Bromham Hall, 

 Treutham, Green Fleshed Egyptian, and Green Fleshed Masulipatam, 

 are esteemed excellent. Of the Persian varieties the Green Hoosainee, 

 the large Germek, the Melon of Keiseng, Sweet Melon of Ispahan, 

 and the Geree, are the highest flavoured. The Dampsha is a winter 

 melon. Of water-melons, the Spanish, the Imperial, and the Carolina 

 are among the best. 



(Transactions of Hort. Soc.; London, Encydopcedia of Gardening ; 

 Mac Intosh, Book of the Garden.) 



MELPOMENE. [MUSES.] 



MEMOIRS, a term, in its application to a particular species of 

 writing, of French origin, and in appearance properly signifying, as its 

 obvious etymology would denote, a narrative or account mainly or 

 primarily intended for no higher purpose that that of simply recording 

 the facts it embraces, or addressing the one faculty of the memory. 

 Perhaps the modern memoirs may be held to answer pretty nearly to 

 what the Romans understood by Commentarii or Commentaria (see the 

 meanings of this word in Facciolati, ' Lexic.'), unless when that title 

 was given, in genuine or affected modesty, to writings of a more 

 artificial character than that to which it rightly belonged. The philo- 

 sophical ends, and the gratification of the imagination and the taste, 

 aimed at in what is properly called a history, are not therefore to be 

 looked for in memoirs, which, when they relate to historical subjects, 

 are in truth not so much history as materials for history. A common 

 description of French works of this kind is ' Me'moires pour servir ' 

 (that is, a Fhittoire). Most frequently too, but not universally, 



