MELONS 173 



off the plants altogether during the daytime. They 

 should, however, be handy to cover up immediately 

 in case of a sudden storm or a dangerous faU in the 

 temperature. 



Stopping or Pinching. When the side shoots (that 

 were stopped some time before planting) are a foot 

 or more in length, it will be necessary to pinch out 

 the tops of each an inch or so beyond the third, fourth, 

 or even fifth leaf, according to the vigour of the shoots. 

 This stopping causes side shoots to develop from each 

 branch, but these shoots or "laterals" must^be also 

 checked in their turn. 



At this stage it is a good plan to spread straw or 

 litter over the bed before new branches develop. 



In due course side shoots will appear on the branches 

 that were last " stopped " by pinching. When about a 

 foot long this third set of shoots should also be pinched 

 back a little above the third leaf. At this stage any 

 flowers on the shoots should be suppressed, as they 

 are generally male (or staminate) blossoms and are 

 quite useless for the formation of Melons. If by 

 chance the shoots are bearing any female (or pistillate) 

 flowers easily recognised by the roundish swelling 

 behind the corolla these are also best destroyed, as 

 the plants are still too young and lack the necessary 

 force to develop fruits worth having from these first 

 blossoms. 



After this stopping and pinching, as growth con- 

 tinues, a watch is kept for the appearance of female 

 flowers. When the young fruits are forming behind 

 these, a selection of those best situated should be made. 

 Those on the main stem or too near the centre of the 

 plant should be removed. Later on, when the fruits 



