MELON 



546 



MELON 



death ; but in the day they fly about swiftly, and are 

 captured with great difficulty. It is said that when 

 grass suffers from the grubs of either of these beetles, 

 they may be extirpated by watering with the ammoniacal 

 liquor from gas-works. 



ME'LON. (Cu'cumis Me'lo.) 



Varieties. These are so numerous that we must be 

 very severe in our selection, confining ourselves to such 

 as are most generally useful in Britain; and these we 

 must classify according to their habits. 



Cantaloups, the Rocks, the Green-fleshed, the Valentia, 

 or Winter, and the Persians, with their various hybrids. 

 Amongst the Cantaloups we have both round and oblong, 

 plain and netted, the Orange, the Montagnes, &c. In 

 the Rocks we have the Small Scarlet-fleshed, the Black, 

 the Large, and the Early, &c. In the Green-flesh class 

 we may point to the Beech-wood, which may almost be 

 considered the type of this section, the Small Green- 

 fleshed Egyptian, of exquisite flavour, and thin rind ; 

 these, with the various varieties known by the name of 

 Snow's, Terry's, the Kew-green-flesh, &c. These are 

 the most generally useful melons, being hardy, free- 

 setters, and not liable to rot or canker. 



Next we may advert to the Winter Melons, a class 

 which will keep a long time after they are cut ; and the 

 Valentia may be placed amongst this division. Lastly, 

 are the Persians, with their useful hybrids. The types 

 of these Persian hybrids are, principally, the Ispahan, 

 the Dampsha, the Germek, and the Hoosainee. 



Propagation : by Seed. Most practical men prefer old 

 seed to new, as running less to bine. A bottom-heat of 

 from 75 to 85 is essential ; and when the seedlings are 

 up, and just before the second set of leaves begin to 

 appear, the young plants may be potted into s-inch 

 pots, two in a pot, in a soil of three parts strong loam, 

 enriched with manure. A temperature of 70 to 80 

 must be secured to them, and the pots should be plunged. 

 As soon as the central shoot begins to sprout from be- 

 tween the seed-leaves it may be pinched off ; and this, 

 if other points be right, will cause the protrusion of a 

 pair, or more, of shoots, more fruitful in character, and 

 these are enough as " leaders." In about a fortnight 

 afterwards they will be fit for the fruiting-bed. 



By Cuttings. This mode of culture has been recom- 

 mended by some, as serving to restrict that excessive 

 luxuriance which is frequently inimical to fertile blossom- 

 ing. Under proper culture the plan answers ; but, on 

 the whole, the seedling plan is the better. It is, how- 

 ever, a certain mode of perpetuating choice kinds, and 

 as such should not be lost sight of. Healthy, free- 

 growing, yet short-jointed shoots, should be selected, 

 and the usual bottom-heat and atmospheric temperature 

 must be secured ; in addition to this, there must be a 

 liberal amount of atmospheric moisture, and the close 

 treatment, with shading incidental to the growth of 

 cuttings. When established, the plants will need no 

 " stopping " ; and they require a more generous soil 

 when finally planted. 



Subsequent CvMure. The melon is fruited by a variety 

 of modes, but in all a certain amount of bottom-heat, 

 as well as atmospheric, is absolutely necessary. The 

 bottom-heat should never descend below 70, nor range 

 above 90, whilst an atmosphere not below 65, nor above 

 80, will be most suitable, permitting, however, a rise 

 of eight or ten degrees from sunshine. In no situation 

 can the melon endure shade. 



Culture in the Dung-bed. (For preparation of this see 

 HOTBED.) The earliest melons are generally sown about 

 the middle of January, in a seed-bed specially prepared. 

 Great caution is necessary ; and when the plants are up, 

 and the two seed-leaves fully developed, they may be 

 planted out singly in 5-inch pots, in rich soil. About 

 this time the ridging-out bed must be got up for their 

 reception, and this must be composed of materials per- 

 fectly sweet. Regular ventilation and frequent water- 

 ings will soon render the air within perfectly sweet ; 

 and then the hills of soil may be introduced ; in doing 

 which it is good practice to form hollows two-thirds the 

 depth of the bed, and to fill them to the ordinary surface 

 with brickbats or rubble, laying a turf with the grass 

 downwards on the top, and on thi; the hillocks may be 

 placed. The young plants will, by this time, have pro- 

 duced three or four shoots each, and it is advisable to 

 retain two of the best on each. They may now be ridged 



out, and must afterwards be occasionally watered when 

 dry ; watering, according to the weather, also the sides 

 of the frame and the uncovered dung almost daily. 

 Henceforth, regular linings must be supplied, and those 

 often turned and watered ; maintaining steadily the 

 temperatures, and taking care that the bottom-heat in 

 no part of the interior exceeds 90. As strong linings 

 will be requisite at this early period, much water will be 

 necessary twice or thrice a week, round the insides of 

 the frames, and next to the linings, to prevent burning. 

 As soon as the plants begin to spread, the remaining soil 

 must be added ; each light requiring, in the whole, from 

 two or three barrowfuls. The surface of the bed must 

 be formed convex, the plants occupying the highest 

 point. Two plants are enough for each light, and a shoot 

 may be led to each angle of the light, and then the main 

 shoots, taking the whole light, will form the letter X, 

 the centre of the letter indicating the ridging-out point. 

 As soon as each of these shoots reaches to within from 

 6 to 9 inches of the frame side, it must be pinched, 

 and the laterals forced out by this pinching will produce 

 blossoms, some males, others females ; the former 

 generally preponderating. 



The female blossoms must be carefully " set " or 

 mpregnated daily, choosing about two o'clock P.M. for 

 the op 'ration, when the farina will be dry. As soon as 

 from three to four fruit are secured on each plant, and 

 these are as large as a pigeon's ege, all the blossoms must 

 be kept cut away, male and female, as they appear. 

 Each axillary shoot with a fruit must be pinched or 

 stopped three or four eyes beyond the fruit ; and fre- 

 quent stopping practised with all the other portions, 

 removing at all times coarse shoots which threaten to 

 overpower the bearing portions. The chief object should 

 be to expose as much healthy foliage as possible, and that 

 connected with bearing portions, to the light, not suffer- 

 ing late-formed leaves to overshadow the older healthy 

 leaves. Still, the sides of the frame must be occasionally 

 watered ; and when the fruit is as large as a hen's egg, 

 a liberal watering of liquid-manure may be given, avoid- 

 ing, however, wetting the collars of the plants at all times. 

 Ventilation must be daily had, but much caution is 

 necessary ; good linings must be maintained, in order to 

 support the necessary temperature with ventilation. By 

 these means, fine, ripe Cantaloups or Beechwoods may 

 be cut by the middle of May. We may add that the 

 root-watering may require to be repeated, but water 

 must be entirely withheld a week or two before they 

 commence ripening, and an extra amount of ventilation 

 used during the ripening period. 



The main features of their culture in houses or pits, 

 or on trellises, are precisely the same, except that, having 

 a greater depth of soil, and more room to ramble, a 

 much greater length of main shoot may be allowed 

 before stopping. In whatever situation, about 80 of 

 bottom-heat, and an average of 75 atmospheric, will be 

 found to suit them best, except that in proportion as 

 the sunlight increases they will readily bear an increase 

 of from 5 to 10, both to the roots and branches. 



Bed. Although a common hotbed is generally used 

 for this plant, yet a pit is more economical of heat, and, 

 by enabling a more regular temperature to be sustained, 

 renders the fruit in greater perfection. The pit is a 

 rectangular frame or bin, built of 9-inch brick-work, 

 and enclosed by a glass case of the necessary dimensions. 

 Mr. Smith, gardener to A. Keith, Esq., of Ravelstone, 

 N.B., has suggested a mode of building a pit which 

 renders the renewal of the heat in it easy ; and, as the 

 committee appointed to examine it report, is the means 

 of considerable saving compared with the common mode 

 of forming an open bed. But the facility with which 

 linings may be applied is its best feature. 



Mr. Smith's mode of applying the linings is simple. 

 There is a pit, the sides of which, instead of being a 

 continuous piece of brick-work, are merely rows of pillars 

 6 feet apart ; and the brick-work of the frame above 

 is supported by bars of iron reaching from pillar to 

 pillar. An outer brick wall is constructed at 2j feet 

 distance from the pillars on each side ; thus two bins 

 are formed in which the linings are inserted, as is 

 found necessary, and are kept close covered with thick 

 boards ; ordinary lights are used, being laid on the top 

 without any wooden frames. For other modes of con- 

 struction, see HOTBED, PITS, &c. If a common hotbed 

 is employed, fifteen barrow-loads of dung is the usual 



