70 ON THE CULTURE OF THE MELON 



should be a south border or some well-sheltered 

 spot. If the soil be good loam, it will require no 

 further preparation than digging, and being laid 

 out in width and length proportionate to the 

 cucumber frame, which must be placed over the 

 plants as soon as they get too large for the 

 hand-glasses ; raising the middle of the bed about 

 eight inches higher than the sides, to prevent 

 an excess of moisture lodging near the stems. 



Supposing that a frame of three lights is to 

 be employed, (after its removal from the cucum- 

 ber bed,) in which the plants are to be fruited, 

 let three hand-glasses be put over the earth 

 where they are to be planted, to warm the soil ; 

 these should be covered at night in the same way 

 as the seed-bed, and be so placed on its ridge, as 

 the plants may be under the centre of each light 

 when the frame and lights are put on. As 

 soon as the bed is ready, take the plants up from 

 the seed-bed, in the same way as recommended 

 for cucumbers, and set four under each hand- 

 glass, if the frame be five feet wide : otherwise 



