MAY] THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 383 



corn ; but in order to have them as early as possible in the open 

 ground, a few patches may be sown ten days or more before the dates 

 above mentioned, which, with good care, may succeed very well, 

 especially if the season proves favorable. 



For the varieties of the musk or cantaleupe melons, prepare a piece 

 of rich sandy ground, well exposed to the sun ; manure it and give 

 it a good digging, then mark it out into squares of six feet every way; 

 at the angle of every square, dig a hole twelve inches deep and 

 eighteen over, into which put seven or eight inches deep of old hot- 

 bed dung, or very rotten manure ; throw thereon about four inches of 

 earth, and mix the dung and earth well with the spade ; after which, 

 draw the remainder of the earth over the mixture so as to form a 

 round hill, about a foot broad at top. Some people use hot stable 

 dung, under an idea that its heat would promote the vegetation of 

 the seed; this is a mistaken notion, as in a few hours it loses all it 

 had for want of a sufficient quantity being together to promote fer- 

 mentation, and becomes a dryish wisp, unfit, at least for the present, 

 to afford either heat or nourishment to the plants. 



When your hills are all prepared as above, plant in each, towards 

 the centre, eight or nine grains of good melon seed, distant two inches 

 from one another, and cover them about half an inch deep. 



When the plants are up and in a state of forwardness, producing 

 their rough leaves, they must be thinned to two or three in each hill ; 

 the extra number in some, may serve to fill up deficiencies in others : 

 draw earth from time to time around the hills, and as high about the 

 roots of the plants as the seed leaves ; when fit, stop them as directed 

 on page 127, after which keep the ground, by frequent hoeings, per- 

 fectly free from weeds. 



SQUASHES. 



Squashes of every kind may be cultivated as directed for cucum- 

 bers and melons, should be sown at the same time, and at similar dis- 

 tances, with this difference, that two plants of these will be plenty 

 for each hill, and that they are easier pleased in soil and preparation 

 than the others. 



WATER-MELONS. 



In order to have water-melons in good perfection, you must fix 

 upon a piece of very light, rich, sandy soil ; prepare, sow, and manage 

 it in every respect, as directed for cucumbers and melons, only let 

 the hills be nine or ten feet distant every way. 



PUMPKINS AND GOURDS. 



Pumpkins will require to be ten feet distant hill from hill, two or 

 three plants will be sufficient in each ; they are not so tenacious of a 

 particular soil as either melons or cucumbers, but will grow freely 

 in any dry and tolerably rich ground ; they are to be sown at the 

 same time as directed for sowing melons and cucumbers in the open 

 ground, and should be kept constantly clean and free from weeds. 



