398 



cue 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



cue 



covered, either by the leaves or weeds, it becomes white. It 

 is as indigenous as the Cucumber in the West Indies, but far 

 interior to it, although the inhabitants of the West India 

 islands often eat it, and in the sugar islands frequently use 

 it, with other herbs, in soups, and reckon it an agreeable and 

 wholesome ingredient in them. 



4. Cucumis Afrieanus ; African Cucumber. Leaves pal- 

 mate-sinuate ; fruits oval, eehinate ; stems numerous, some- 

 what angular, prostrate ; leaves five-cleft ; flowers small. 

 Native of the Cape. 



5. Cucumis Acutangulus ; Acute angled Cucumber. Leaves 

 rounded-angular ; fruits with ten acute angles ; five inches 

 long, brownish yellow, smooth ; flowers yellow. The fruit is 

 very insipid, but it is eat,en boiled and pickled. Native of 

 India ; flowering from June till September. 



6. Cucumis Melo ; Common or Musk-Melon. Angles of 

 the leaves rounded ; fruits torulose. It has the stems pro- 

 cumbent, or trailing to a great length, and very much 

 branched, furnished with tendrils for climbing ; leaves pal- 

 mate-sinuate, or entire, waving about the edge, and slightly 

 toothed, with rounded corners ; rough with bristles ; flowers 

 pale yellow, lateral, solitary ; calix covered with white hairs; 

 corolla wrinkled, ribbed, and having bristles along the ribs 

 on the outside; fruit roundish or oval, blunt, commonly fur- 

 rowed longitudinally, sometimes netted, sometimes warted or 

 carbuncled,four to ten inches in length and diameter, yellow- 

 ish green, or white; pulp firm, musky, reddish, seldom green; 

 seeds many, oblong, pale, in a watery pulp. Some say it is a 

 native of Calmuc Tartary ; but as it has been cultivated from 

 time immemorial, it is difficult to determine its native country; 



however, it was first introduced into Europe from Persia. 



There are many varieties of the Melon cultivated in different 

 parts of the world ; and in England there are too many of 

 them propagated which are of no value, especially by those 

 who supply the markets, where the size is principally regard- 

 ed, so that by endeavouring to augment their bulk, the fruit 

 is rendered of no value ; on this account, we shall only men- 

 tion a few of the varieties which are the most deserving of 

 care, excluding the common Melons, as being unworthy of 

 the trouble and expense of cultivation. 1. The Melon most 

 esteemed is the Cantaleupe, so named from a place near 

 Rome, where it has been long cultivated : it was brought 

 thither from that part of Armenia which borders on Persia, 

 where it is so plentiful that a horse-load is sold for a French 

 crown. This Melon is delicious when in perfection, may be 

 safely eaten, and will not offend the tenderest stomach : the 

 Dutch are so partial to it, that they scarcely cultivate any 

 other, but call it Cantaleupe by way of preeminence, never 

 adding the surname Melon, as in all the rest : its outer coat 

 is rough, and full of knobs and protuberances like warts ; it is 

 of a middling size, rather round than long; and the flesh is 

 for the most part of an orange colour, though there arc some 

 in which it has a greenish hue, which are not so good. 2. The 

 Romana is a good Melon, when perfectly healthy, in dry 

 seasons ; and as it may be brought more forward than the 

 Cantaleupe, those who desire to have early Melons should 

 cultivate this sort. 3'. The Succado may also be cultivated 

 for early fruit, but is not so good as the Cantaleupe. 4. The 

 Zatte is good, but very small, being seldom bigger than a 

 large orange, and a little flatted at each end, but contains so 

 little flesh, that it is hardly worth the trouble of propagating. 



5. The small Portugal, or Dormer Melon, is a pretiy good 

 fruit, and may be cultivated for an early crop ; they are 

 produced in plenty, and are preferred by those who are not 

 nice respecting the quality, if the quantity be but sufficient. 



6. The black Galloway, which will ripen in a shorter time, 



from its first setting, than any other sort here named, and is 

 not a despicable fruit when suffered to ripen naturally. Of 

 tin' Scnls. Place no dependence ui>on seeds brought from 

 abroad ; they are not only generally unproductive, but when 

 they do produce, the fruit is hardly ever tolerable. Dif- 

 ferent sorts of Melons or Gourds should not be planted near 

 each other, as the farina from each, by impregnating other 

 plants, makes it impossible to preserve the different sorts 

 distinct ; and as this mixture always occasions a great de- 

 terioration in point of quality, it ought the more carefully to 

 be avoided. As it is very difficult to clean the seeds pro- 

 perly, Mr. Miller advises every one to do it for himself ; as 

 every person will then know from what sort it has been 

 taken, and will not be deceived liy the duplicity or ignorance 

 of others. The seeds should not be sown before they are 

 three years old, nor after they are six : seeds that will swim 

 upon the water are to be avoided ; the heavy seeds should 

 be preform!.- -Methods of Cultivation. It is common, says 

 Mr. Miller, to hear many persons valuing themselves upon 

 having two or three early Melons, which, when brought to 

 the table, are not better than a pumpkin, though raised at 

 great trouble and expense ; for in order to have them ripe a 

 little earlier than they would naturally come, if suffered to 

 grow to their full size, the stem of the fruit is commonly 

 twisted, to prevent the nourishment from entering it, by 

 which the growth is checked ; then the fruit is closely covered 

 with the mowings of grass plats, laid of a sufficient depth to 

 cause a fermentation, by which the fruit becomes coloured : , 

 but where this unnatural method is practised, the fruit has 

 but little flesh, without either moisture, firmness, or flavour; 

 so that after three or four months' attendance, with a great 

 expense of dung, &c. there may perhaps be three or four 

 brace of Melons produced, which are fitter for the dunghill 

 than the table. He therefore advises never to attempt to 

 have these fruits ripe earlier than the middle or latter end of 

 June, or from that time till the end of September, during 

 which period, if skilfully managed, they may be plentifully 

 obtained. Sowing the Seeds. But in order to continue the 

 fruit so long, the seeds must be sown at two or three different 

 times ; first at the middle of February in forward seasons, but 

 in backward springs at the end of that month. As the succesf 

 greatly depends on raising the plants with strength,which can- 

 not be so well effected if the severity of the weather should 

 preclude the admission of fresh air, on this account it is ad- 

 visable not to be two early in sowing the seeds. When the 

 weather favours, they should be sown on the upper side of a 

 Cucumber-bed, where there are any ; and otherwise, a quan- 

 tity of new horse-dung must be provided, thrown in aheap to 

 ferment, and turned over that it may acquire an equal heat, in 

 the same manner as is directed for Cucumbers : the plants 

 also must be raised in the same manner as prescribed for the 

 Cucumber ; to which article, to prevent repetition, the reader 

 is referred. The second season for sowing is about the 

 middle of March. Both these sowings must be planted 

 under frames, for those uhieh are designed for bell or hand 

 glasses, or to be covered with oil-papers, should not be sown 

 till about a week in April, otherwise they will extend their 

 roots to the sides of the glasses before it will be safe to let 

 them run out, that is, during the -.harp frosty mornings which 

 often happen in the month D( .Mii\ : and if when they till the 

 9 they are not allowed to run out, they will suffer as 

 much from tho heat of the sun during their confinement in 

 the day, an from the frost of the morning and the cold of { 

 the night : the seeds of those plants intended for the grasses, ^ 

 should be put a little later into the hot-bed than those which 

 are to be covered with the oil-papers. Preparing the Beds 



