176 FRENCH MARKET-GARDENING 



arising therefrom are just as great as in the open 

 ground. 



Gathering the Fruit. It is important to know exactly 

 when a Melon fruit is fit to cut from the plant. If left 

 too long, or cut before the proper time, a loss may 

 result to the grower. The best time to cut the fruit 

 is when the skin commences to change colour. Fruits 

 cut at this time should be placed in a cool, dark, airy 

 place where they will ripen gradually without losing in 

 quality or flavour. When the fruits assume a dis- 

 tinctly yellow tinge they should be eaten without 

 delay. 



MELONS UNDER CLOCHES. The kinds best suited 

 for growing under cloches are known as " Chypre " or 

 " Kroumir," although the " Fresco tt " varieties may 

 be also grown. 



Seeds are sown early in April on hot-beds prepared 

 as for the " Prescott " varieties (see p. 169), and in ten 

 or fifteen days the young plants are fit to be pricked 

 out on beds about i ft. in thickness. They may be 

 covered either with frames or cloches. By the first 

 or second week in May the young plants will be large 

 enough to transfer to their fruiting quarters. A 

 trench about 2 ft. wide and i ft. deep is prepared, 

 and filled with good manure. Over this 6 or 8 in. of 

 good rich loam and leaf soil is placed, and the Melons 

 are carefully planted about 2 ft. apart. Each one is 

 covered with a cloche, and air and light are excluded 

 for several days until the plants recover. Shading is 

 done either with mats or by white-washing the cloches 

 on the sunny side. 



About a week or a fortnight after planting accord- 

 ing to the weather and the state of the plant a little 



