MELON 71 



down to a steady temperature of about 80, but below 70 will be 

 unsafe. If plants cannot be prepared in advance, the seed must be 

 sown on the bed, and twice as many should be sown as will be wanted, 

 as a precaution against accidents and to permit of the removal of the 

 weakest. 



As regards the bed, it may be made once and for all at the time 

 of planting, a few days being allowed for warming the soil through. 

 But we much prefer to begin with smallish hillocks, or with a thin 

 sharp ridge raised so as almost to touch the lights, and to plant or 

 sow on this ridge, which can be added to from time to time as the 

 plants require more root room. The soil, coming fresh and fresh, 

 sustains a vigorous and healthy root action, which is of the first im- 

 portance. The high ridge favours the production of stout leaves, 

 and the absorption by the soil of sun-heat, which to the Melon is 

 more than either soil, or water, or air. 



The practice of pruning Melons as if they were fodder plants, and 

 might be chopped at for supplies of herbage, is much in vogue, and 

 must be heartily condemned. Melons should never be so crowded 

 as to necessitate cutting out, except in a quite trivial manner. A 

 free and vigorous plant is needed, and it will rarely happen that there 

 is a single leaf anywhere that can be spared. We will propose a 

 practical rule that we have followed in growing Melons for seed a 

 business of great importance, and on which a large crop of the most 

 perfect fruits is absolutely needful to insure a fair return. The 

 young plants are pinched when there are two rough leaves. The 

 result is two side shoots. These are allowed to produce six or seven 

 leaves, and are then pinched. After this, the plants are permitted to 

 run, and there is no more pinching or pruning until there is a visible 

 crop. Then the fruits that are to remain must be selected, and the 

 shoots be pinched to one eye 'above each fruit, and only one fruit 

 should remain on a shoot, the others must be removed a few at a 

 time. All overgrowth must be guarded against, for crowded plants 

 will be comparatively worthless. It is not by rudely cutting out 

 that crowding is to be prevented, but by timely pinching out every 

 shoot that is likely to prove superfluous. From first to last there 

 must be a regular plant, and not a shoot should be allowed to grow 

 that is not wanted. Cutting out may produce canker, and crowding 

 results in sterility. 



As the Melon is required to ripen its fruits, and the Cucumber is 

 not, the treatment varies in view of this difference. It is not necessary 

 to fertilise the female flowers of the Cucumber, but it is certainly 



