Melon 



It is good practice to raise the plants in pots, and have them strong 

 enough to plant out as soon as the newly-made beds have settled 

 down to a steady temperature of about 80, but below 70 will be 

 unsafe. If plants cannot be prepared in advance, seed must be sown 

 on the bed, and as a precaution against accidents and to permit of 

 the removal of those which show any sign of weakness, a sufficient 

 number of seeds must be sown to provide for contingencies. 



As regards the bed, it may be made once and for all at the time 

 of planting, a few days being allowed for warming the soil through. 

 But we much prefer to begin with smallish hillocks, or with a thin 

 sharp ridge raised so as almost to touch the lights, and to plant or 

 sow on this ridge, which can be added to from time to time as the 

 plants require more root room. The soil, coming fresh and fresh, 

 sustains a vigorous and healthy root action, which is of the first im- 

 portance. The high ridge favours the production of stout leaves, 

 and the absorption by the soil of sun-heat is to the Melon of the 

 highest importance. 



The practice of pruning Melons as if the plants were grown for 

 fodder, and might be chopped at for supplies of herbage, must 

 be heartily condemned. Melons should never be so crowded as 

 to necessitate cutting out, except in a quite trivial manner. A 

 free and vigorous plant is needed, and it will rarely happen 

 that there is a single leaf anywhere that can be spared. We 

 will propose a practical rule that we have followed in growing 

 Melons for seed, on which a large crop of the most perfect fruits is 

 absolutely needful to insure a fair return. The young plants are 

 pinched when there are two rough leaves. The result is two side 

 shoots. These are allowed to produce six or seven leaves, and are 

 then pinched. After this, the plants are permitted to run, and there 

 is no more pinching or pruning until the crop is visible. Then the 

 fruits that are to remain must be selected, and the shoots be pinched 

 to one eye above each fruit, and only one fruit should remain on a 

 shoot ; the others must be removed a few at a time. All overgrowth 

 must be guarded against, for crowded plants will be comparatively 

 worthless. It is not by rudely cutting out that crowding is to be 

 prevented, but by timely pinching out every shoot that is likely to 

 prove superfluous. From first to last there must be a regular plant, 

 and not a shoot should be allowed to grow that is not wanted. Cutting 

 out may produce canker, and crowding results in sterility. 



As the Melon is required to ripen its fruits, and the Cucumber 

 is not, the treatment varies in view of this difference. It is not 



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