00 MELONS. 



away. Let the vine run as far as it will, but if any 

 of the lateral branches shew a tendency to turn up, 

 they should be extracted ten or twelve inches from the 

 main vine. Be particular to suffer no melon to form 

 within four feet from the root. One melon only 

 should grow on a side branch, and three or four to 

 one plant. But when the melon has attained near- 

 ly its full size, a second series may be suffered to 

 grow. 



It is recommended to plant pumpkin seed near the 

 melons to attract the bugs; though, of course, they 

 should be removed so soon as the bugs are gone. 

 Melon seed should never be planted in the neighbor- 

 hood of gourds, nor indeed of pumpkins, squashes, 

 musk melons, nor any thing of the kind, if it is in- 

 tended that they shall flower; for the pollen will 

 mix, and if hybrid varieties are not produced, the 

 melon is injured by the flavor of the gourd, or redu- 

 ced in size. 



One thing I would particularly mention, concern- 

 ing the preparation of land intended ior melons. If 

 it is desirable to have early melons, at least one 

 month earlier, the spot of ground should be covered 

 by hay, straw, fodder stacks, manure, or something 

 else, which will entirely prevent the freezing of the 

 ground. Now it requires a month or more in the 

 Spring for the frost to get entirely out of the earth, 

 and if this plan is pursued, your ground is ready as 

 soon as the frosts are over in the Spring. 

 By pursuing the plan laid down above, watermelons 



