MELONS 175 



must be kept moist and the plants kept growing 

 steadily, care must be taken not to give too much 

 water ; and the water itself should be tepid or of the 

 same temperature at least as the atmosphere in the 

 frame. Watering is always best done in the morning 

 say before ten o'clock before the sun becomes too 

 powerful to scorch the wetted foliage ; otherwise it 

 should be done late in the afternoon. 



Under certain conditions, as, for instance, when 

 the plants are growing more vigorously than usual, 

 and are inclined to develop too many shoots and 

 leaves, water should be withheld almost entirely, or 

 given only very sparingly. This causes a check to 

 the growth of stems and leaves, and results in better 

 development of the fruits. 



Late Crops. For a later crop of Melons, seeds should 

 be sown in April. It will not be necessary, however, 

 at that period of the year to go to the trouble of making 

 up such deep hot-beds as was necessary for the earlier 

 crops, as the weather is far more genial, and the 

 prevailing temperature is naturally higher. Having 

 marked out the place to be occupied by the frames, 

 a trench in the centre about 18 in. wide and i ft. deep 

 is taken out with the spade. The trench is then filled 

 with good fresh manure that has been previously well 

 turned over. When trodden down, it is covered with 

 a layer of nice mould about 6 in. deep taken from 

 the adjoining frames ; and so on with each bed in 

 succession. 



Rotation. It should be borne in mind that it is not 

 good practice to grow Melons two years running on 

 the same ground. The principles of rotation should 

 be applied to intensive cultivation, as the benefits 



