MELONS, TRAINING OF. 



315 



MF.SEMRRYANTIIEMUM. 



to increase the size and deteriorate the 

 quality of the fruit. The kind of structure 

 the plants are grown in will have some 

 effect on the quantity of water they will 

 require. In lofty pits or houses, where 

 the foliage attains a large size, and where 

 a much drier atmosphere is obtained than 

 in frames and low pits, more water will be 

 necessary, and the surface of the soil should 

 be frequently sprinkled. 



Melons, Training of, in Frame 

 and Pit. 



An ordinary melon pit is best for a main 

 crop ; but, to have them early, a hotbed 

 and frame is the next best thing to hot- 

 water pits. In training them in a frame, 

 have two plants under the middle, and 

 each light placed close together. Stop 

 them at the second leaf, when each plant 

 will throw out three shoots, which are 

 trained fan-like, so that the three shoots 

 from each of the two plants radiate from 

 a centre, and the laterals from these bear 

 the fruit ; but never allow more than one 

 to swell off on the same vine, so that each 

 plant has three vines, and each vine one 

 fruit, or six melons from each light. In 

 the pit, which has 6 feet clear space from 

 back to front, the procedure is as follows : 

 About the beginning of May a quantity of 

 stable dung is procured, and prepared by 

 turning and wetting if necessary; this will 

 be about the middle of the month ; by that 

 time the pit is cleared of what had formerly 

 occupied it. The dung is then thrown in 

 and levelled ; three days after, some good 

 stiff loam is laid on to the thickness of 7 or 

 8 inches; this is well trodden down, and 

 in three days more the plants are put in a 

 row, about 18 inches from the back, and 

 another about the same distance from the 

 front, the plants being about 18 inches 

 apart. At the second leaf the plants are 

 stopped, and each plant makes two vines, 

 one trained towards the back of the pit, 



the other to the front. To insure a good 

 crop, any number of fruit may be set ; but 

 one to each vine, or two to each plant, is 

 sufficient ; no more ought to be allowed to 

 swell, and all superfluous growth should 

 be prevented : the too common practice of 

 allowing the plants to grow and set as they 

 please is not profitable. Both the cucum- 

 ber and melon grow freely in a moist 

 heat a certain amount of humidity is 

 indispensable to secure a vigorous and 

 healthy growth ; but the melon should be 

 kept moderately dry while setting, and 

 also at the time of ripening the fruit ; a 

 copious watering once a week is sufficient 

 for the roots, but the foliage should be 

 sprinkled every day, just before closing up 

 for the night. Early closing is best. Ob- 

 serve that in watering cucumbers, melons, 

 or any plant growing in heat, warm water 

 should be used, otherwise the plants are 

 retarded by the chill imparted by cold 

 water. 



Mesembryan'themum (nat. ord. 



Ficoidese). 



A brilliant and profuse-flowering tribe 

 of extremely pretty, dwarf-growing shrubby 



MESEMBRYANTHEMUM. 



plants, from the Cape of Good Hope, strik- 

 ing effective in beds, edgings, rock-work, 

 rustic baskets, or vases in warm, sunny 

 situations ; also for in -door decoration, 

 grown in pots, pans, or boxes. They 



