368 FORCING GARDEN. 



fibres from being scorched. When the roots begin to show 

 themselves through the surface of the hillocks, a quantity 

 of fresh earth is applied all around them, and in a week or 

 in a fortnight after, the whole surface of the bed is covered 

 nearly as high as the top of the hills. 



When the plants have got two or three of their rough or 

 perfect leaves, the top of the stalklet, which now begins to 

 elongate, is pinched off, and from the axillae of the leaves 

 lateral shoots are soon shot forth. These are fastened 

 down with pegs, and are so disposed as regularly to cover 

 the surface of the bed. These laterals will sometimes 

 show flowers at the second or third joints ; if they do not, 

 they are topped in their turn, and afford other laterals, 

 which seldom fail to be fruitful. As these runners ad- 

 vance, they are trained along the surface, and all weak, 

 useless shoots are removed. This should be done repeat- 

 edly at successive intervals, as it is found injurious to cut 

 out a great quantity of shoots and foliage at one time. No 

 plant, as has been shown by Mr. Knight {Hortic. Trans., 

 vol. i.), is more beholden to its leaves, both as respects 

 health and flavor of fruit, than the melon. In cultivating 

 the sweet melon of Ispahan, that excellent cultivator never 

 suffered lateral shoots or blossoms to be produced at a less 

 distance from the root than the fourteenth or fifteenth joint, 

 or more, above the seed-leaves. In this way the expendi- 

 ture of sap, being confined to the extremity of a single 

 stem, was small compared with the quantity formed ; it 

 therefore accumulated, and afforded greatly increased nour- 

 ishment to the fruit. 



It is seldom proper to leave more than one melon on 

 each shoot, and in the large kinds perhaps not more than 

 four or five fruit should be left on one plant. When the 

 melons begin to swell, a slate or piece of tile is laid under 



