S30 FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 



By this bad management, too, all the best grasses are 

 eaten out, as cattle will eat these the closest ; or, being 

 more tender, they are destroyed by the feet of the cattle; 

 and in the mean time the wild grasses usurp their places, 

 to the great injury of the meadow. 



Where a meadow is quite wild, it should be mowed 

 rather before the grass has attained its full size, and in this 

 way it may yield a tolerably good second crop; while each 

 crop, by being mowed while very green, and by adding a 

 peck of salt to every ton, may be converted into good fod- 

 der. By mowing wet meadows very early, the grass may 

 be out of the way before the heavy rains which oiten fall in 

 the month of July. Meadows which are entirely of wild 

 grass are much less liable to be injured, by close pasturing 

 and the treading of cattle, than any other; the treading of 

 such grass will not essentially injure it, and the cuttle are 

 never disposed to eat it very closely. 



For destroying moss in meadows, see Moss. 



MELON (Cucumis Aleh.) Seeds brought from the 

 Southward produce the best melons, and the seeds should 

 occasionally be renewed by a fresh supply from that 

 quarter. 



Mr. Miller says they should be three years old before 

 planting, and that those which will swim in water should 

 be rejected. 



The ends of the runers, and the fruit last formed, says 

 Mr. Dearie, should be taken off, in order that the fruit first 

 formed may have more nourishment, grow larger, and ar- 

 rive to greater perfection. 



A sandy loam, with a sou/hern exposure, is best for me- 

 lons. A good manure to be put under them, when plant- 

 ing, is an old compost made of good loam and the dung of 

 Neat-cattle or Swine. The Canteloupe is the finest-tasted 

 melon. 



The above observations apply equally to the watermelon 

 fcucumus anguria) the mode of culture of each, being well 

 known, requires no particular description. 



See INSECTS, for the means of keeping these from the 

 young plants. 



METHEGLIN. A hundred pounds of honey is general- 

 ly used to make a barrel of this liquor; but Mr. Dcane says 

 he found ninety pounds to answer very well. It improves 

 considerably by age, and becomes as strong as common 

 wines. The liquor is made thus: 



Take of honey and clear water, in the proportions above 

 mentioned, and boil them for an hour: When the liquor is 

 cool, barrel it; adding some ginger, cloves, and mace; 



