CUCURBITACE.E. IV. CUCUMIS. 



13 



ance. For an early crop of melons, he grows the small early 

 cantaloup, 1 plant in a light when the frame is narrow, and 2 

 if wide, with 2 or 3 fruit on each plant, which in general 

 weigh from 2 to 3 pounds each. He succeeds these with the 

 scarlet and green-flesh, planted and trained as above, the pro- 

 duce of which is from 2 to 6 pounds. His principal crop is, 

 however, from the black rock, which he has grown of all sizes 

 up to 13 j Ibs. weight; the plants are much more hardy than 

 many other sorts, it is a good bearer, the fruit handsome, and 

 the flavour excellent. The sort which he grew so large was 

 originally from France, and in its primeval state was a rock ; 

 but it lias lately been strongly impregnated with the scarlet flesh, 

 which fruit it now resembles in all its characters, except in 

 growing much larger. The largest melon weighed 24-| Ibs. 

 The above is Mr. Holland's general practice of cultivating the 

 melon, which practice he says he will still continue to adhere to 

 unless fully convinced he can adopt a better. 



Insects and diseases. To prevent melon plants from being 

 infested with insects or injured by diseases of any kind, no bet- 

 ter method can be adopted than to keep the plants constantly in 

 a healthy, vigorous, growing state ; for this purpose, M'Phail 

 observes, " they must be constantly attended to, giving them 

 plenty of heat and water. In warm weather in the spring and 

 the summer, they should be watered occasionally all over the 

 fruit and leaves, till the earth in which they grow be thoroughly 

 moistened, and a stronger heat than usual be kept in the frames 

 about the plants for a few hours ; also the lights should be shut 

 down every afternoon, with a good strong heat among the plants. 

 If there be sufficient moisture in the earth the greatest sun heat 

 in the afternoon will not hurt the plants, but it might scorch the 

 sides of the large fruit, exposed to the sun-beams operating 

 upon the glass, which should be guarded against. The frames 

 and lights should be kept clean and painted over once every 

 year. Melon plants are subject to be infested and hurt by the 

 mildew and by the canker. These diseases come upon them 

 because they are not in a good climate, they have not a suffi- 

 ciency of heat, or the dung and earth of the bed is in a stagnated 

 state. Melon plants are liable to be greatly injured by an insect 

 called the red spider, which increases surprisingly in hot dry 

 weather. As I said before, nothing will prevent plants from 

 the inroads of disease and insects but heat, sweet air, and a 

 sufficiency of water, which sweetens the atmosphere, and makes 

 it healthy for vegetables as well as for animals. And nothing 

 will eradicate disease and insects from melon plants but good 

 management, strong heat, and plenty of water given all over 

 them. Diseased plants, or plants much infested with insects, 

 cannot produce good healthy fruit. The mildew is a most 

 pernicious disease to all sorts of plants. On melons it gener- 

 ally makes its first appearance on the oldest leaves and on the 

 extremities of the young shoots. The cause of it, I apprehend, 

 is unhealthy nourishment comprehended in the elements, or their 

 not harmonising in the promotion of the growth of the plant ; 

 for by practitioners it may be observed, that when a dung hot- 

 bed gets into a stagnated sour state, the plants do not grow 

 kindly, the air in the frames is saturated with unhealthy parti- 

 cles, and so also must be the juices drawn into the plants by 

 their roots. These must breed diseases, if preventive means 

 be not applied. It cannot be reasonably supposed that plants 

 of a delicate nature will continue in a healthy state growing 

 upon aheap of stinking dung, and in confined air. When melon 

 plants have become diseased, or much infested with the red 

 spider, they should either be destroyed, or effectual means 

 used to cure them. To destroy the plants is easy ; to cure 

 them let the following methods be put in practice : get plenty of 

 horse-dung thrown up in a large heap, turn it over once or 

 twice, shaking and mixing it well, and let it lie till its rankness 



be somewhat evaporated, and if there be linings at the beds, 

 take them entirely away, examine the dung of the beds, and if 

 it be wet and has a bad smell, take a sharp-pointed stake, and 

 make holes all round in the sides of the beds unto their centre, 

 in such a slanting way that the water may easily run out of 

 them ; then make a strong lining of the prepared dung all round 

 the beds, and by occasional augmentations, keep up the linings 

 nearly to a level with the surface of the earth in which the plants 

 grow. As soon as the linings have cast a strong heat into the 

 beds, scatter some flour of sulphur all over the plants, and keep 

 as strong a heat in the frames as the plants can bear ; a heat of 

 120 will not destroy them, if the steam of the linings be pre- 

 vented from getting in among the plants. Water the plants all 

 over their leaves about once a week, with clean water 100 warm, 

 and if the sun shine keep the lights close shut down all day, 

 and cover them up in the evenings, leaving a little air all night 

 at each light, to prevent a stagnation of air among the plants. 

 Continue this process till the mildew and the insects disappear, 

 and the plants appear to grow freely, and afterwards manage 

 them in the usual way, taking care to keep up a good strong 

 heat in the linings. This method sets the old stagnated bed in 

 a state of fermentation, which makes the moisture run out of 

 it, and dries it so, that water given to the plants has free liberty 

 to pass off. If the linings do not heat the air in the frames 

 sufficiently, let some of the earth in the inside all round the 

 sides of the boards be removed, to let the heat from the linings 

 rise freely in the frame." 



Culture of melons in a dung-pit. " A glazed pit to receive 

 either stable-dung, leaves, or tanners' bark, is calculated to ripen 

 superior fine fruit. The well of the pit may be formed either 

 by a nine-inch wall, or by strong planking, a yard in depth, 

 from 6-8 feet wide, and in length from 10-20 feet or more as 

 required. A low glass-case is to be fitted to it, adapted to the 

 growth of the melon. Having raised the plants in a small seed- 

 bed, as for the frame crop, ridge them out into the pit in the 

 usual manner. Give the proper subsequent culture, and when 

 the strength of the fermenting mass begins to decline, add linings 

 outside the pit, if inclosed by boards, but if inclosed by a 

 nine-inch wall, cut away as much of the dung and earth within, 

 and throw it out, as will admit a lining of well-tempered dung." 

 Abercrombie. 



Culture of melons in a Jlued pit. One such as that proper 

 for the nursing pinery is here understood ; and the plants being 

 raised in the usual way, and the bed, whether filled with dung, 

 tan, or leaves, or a mixture of these, being moulded, plant about 

 the end of July. Nicol prefers for such late crops " the early 

 golden cantaloup, the orange cantaloup, and the netted canta- 

 loup, planting a part of the pit with each." A very mild bottom 

 heat is sufficient for the purpose here in view ; and if the pit 

 has been occupied in forcing asparagus, French-beans, or straw- 

 berries, on a bark, or a bark and dung, or on a bark and leaf 

 heat, it will require no other preparation than to be stirred up 

 and have a little fresh materials added, keeping the fresh bark, 

 dung, or leaves well down, and finishing the bed with some of the 

 smallest and best reduced. When it has settled a few days, let 

 it be moulded all over to the thickness of 12 or 15 inches; pre- 

 viously laying on a little more of the above small materials, in 

 order to keep the plants well up to the glass, as the bed will 

 fall considerably in the settling. It should be formed, and the 

 mould should be laid on in a sloping manner from back to front, 

 so as in some measure to correspond with the glasses. All 

 being ready for the plants, they may either be planted in a row, 

 in the middle of the pit, at 2 feet apart, or may be planted in 

 4 rows at 4 feet apart ; or, if they have been planted in nursing, 

 3 in a pot ; plant in the centre of each light, as directed for 

 the common hot-bed, in March. Let them have a little water 



