128 THE FORCING GARDENER. [B.I. 



greatly from their flavour, but frequently 

 occafions the burfting of the fruit, which 

 renders them both unfightly and unfit for 

 carriage. Let a piece of flate, tile^ or 

 glafs, be laid under each fruit 5 it both 

 keeps them from damping and partaking 

 of an earthy flavour. 



Some, indeed, flate the furface all over, 

 and others cover \vith ftraw, reeds, mofs, 

 &c. ; all which methods I difapprove. The 

 flates being fo near the glafs, draw too 

 ftrong a reflection in hot weather for the 

 plants to bear with patience ; and the 

 ftraw, mofs, &c. contain, and confine too 

 much damp in dull weather ; befides, the 

 flates contribute much to the breeding of 

 the red-fpider *, and the mofs, &c. to the 

 harbouring of beetles, earwigs, &c. which 



are 



* Melons are very fubjet to this deftru&ive in feel: 

 in hot weather, which is truly a calamity, as nothing 

 will Hop its progrefs but water, which at fome periods 

 of the Melon feafon cannot be applied without doing 

 much mifchief to the fruit ; and the leaves and vines 

 being; of fo brittle a nature, they cannot be bruihed or 

 handled (although ever fo carefully) without fuftaining 

 lefs or more injury. The liquor (See page 62.) is ef- 

 fedually deftru&ive of the fpider, but mult not be apr 

 plied to foliage of any kind. 



