THE MELON ON DUNG BEDS. 77 



themselves on the surface, they must be covered 

 with earth at intervals till the pot is filled. The 

 fruiting-frame should be twelve feet long, five 

 feet wide, and two feet deep at the back, and 

 one foot six inches in front. 



The fruiting-bed must be the same as for 

 cucumbers, prepared sufficiently early for their 

 reception ; differing only as respects its centre, 

 which should be a foot lower than the edges, to 

 allow of the increased depth of soil necessary for 

 the melon. The soil should be the surface of 

 an old pasture, about three inches deep, and it 

 may be used immediately, requiring no further 

 preparation or mixture than that of being 

 chopped to pieces, so that the lumps may not 

 be larger than an egg. The hillocks should be 

 so formed as to bring the tops of the plants 

 within eight inches of the glass, when planted ; 

 and they should be sufficiently large to admit 

 of four each. When planted, the soil should 

 be kept compact and pressed firmly with the 

 hands, care being taken not to cover a greater 



