494 CULTURE OF THE MELON. 



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

 say four or six to a plant 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. The laterals should then be permitted to reach 

 the sides of the frame or pit without stopping. When they have done so, 

 pinch out their heads ; 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 fertilizing the female 

 ones which will appear later. To effect this, it is only needful to see 

 that the pollen is in a powdery state, that can be dispersed with a 

 breath or a touch. Then place the male flower on the stigma of the 

 female, and fertilization is ^accomplished. As soon as the requisite 

 quantity of fruit is fairly set, the male blossoms are picked off as they 

 appear. The extremities of the fruit-bearing vines are stopped by 

 pinching at the second or third joint above the fruit. The vines must 

 afterwards be kept regulated so as not to overcrowd the frame with 

 more foliage than can be duly exposed to the light. The regulation 

 should be early and frequently attended to, so as not to have occasion 

 to remove many vines from the plant, or divest it of much foliage at 

 any one time. 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 fall a prey to the mildew or to 

 the red spider." 



When a trellis is used it should be raised from a foot to eighteen 

 inches above the soil, and within from ten inches to fourteen inches 

 of the glass. The trellis is formed in panels of the same size as the 

 lights, and rests on projections from the front or back of the frame, or 

 pit, or is suspended by hooks. The trellis may either be formed of 

 wire fixed to a wooden frame, and forming meshes five inches square 

 to admit passing the hand through to the soil beneath ; or it may be 

 formed of laths three-quarters of an inch broad, and half- an-inch thick, 

 also formed into squares, and nailed at the intersections. In general 

 laths are preferable to wires, on account of their forming a flat surface 

 for the fruit to rest on. The trellis is not introduced into the frame or 

 pit till the plants are grow r n sufficiently high to admit of their tops 

 being brought through it. The shoot having been brought through 

 the middle of the trellis, and grown three joints above it, remove two 

 joints with the finger and thumb, which will cause the plant to throw 

 out fresh shoots. When those retained get sufficiently long, they must 

 be tied down to the trellis with care. Similar treatment may be given 

 to the garden varieties green-fleshed Persian, Ispahan, and other 

 more delicate sorts. In general four shoots, trained towards the four 

 corners of the trellis till they reach within a foot of the outer edge 

 of the bed, will be sufficient. There they must be stopped. They 



