MEL 



MEL 



Tliey frequently live through tlie winter in 

 warm borders; but it is always proper to keep 

 a plant or two in pots, slieltered under a tramc 

 during that season. 



The first sort is useful for various domestic 

 purposes, and the others ornamental in the 

 borders, clumps, and other parts, as well as 

 afiording variety among potted plants. 



MELITTIS, a genus containing a plant of 

 the ilowery perennial kind. 



It belongs to the class and order D'uli/iiuinia 

 Gymno'ipeimin, and ranks in the natural order 

 of FcrtkiUatce. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a one- 

 leafed perianihium, bell-siiaped, round, straight, 

 with a two-lipped mouth: upper lip higher, 

 emarginate, acute; lower shorter, bifid, acute, 

 with the divisions gaping : the corolla one-pe- 

 talled, ringenl : tube much narrower than the 

 calyx : opening scarcely thicker than the tube : 

 upper lip erect, roundish, entire : lower spread- 

 ing, trifid, blunt; middle- segment larger, flat, 

 entire : the stamina have four filaments, awl- 

 shaped, under the upper lip, the middle ones 

 shorter than the two outer: anthers convern;ing 

 by pairs in form of a cross, bifid, blunt : the 

 pistillum is a blunt germ, four-cleft, villose : 

 style filiform, the length and situation of the 

 stamens : stigma bifid, acute : there is no peri- 

 carpium : calyx unchanged, containing the 

 seeds at the bottom : the seeds four. 



The species cultivated is : JVI. Melissophyl- 

 liim, Bastard Baum. 



It has a perennial root, sending up in the 

 spring three, four, or more stems, a foot and a 

 half high or more, upright, with a few branches 

 at the base : the whole plant is hairy : the 

 leaves opposite, petioled, ovate, elliptic, or 

 ovate-lanceolate, somewhat pointed, unevenly 

 and bluntly serrate, the serratures terminating in 

 purplish glands slightly villose, wrinkled: pe- 

 tioles channelled above, hirsute, united at the 

 base ; the flowers large, handsome, growing 

 chiefly on one side, in half whorls, about six 

 flowers together, of a purplish white colour. It 

 is a native of several parts of Europe, flowering 

 in May or June, 



Much honey is secreted from a gland that 

 encircles the base of the germ ; it is a favourite 

 plant with bees. 



There is a variety smaller in all respects, with 

 the leaves ovate and heart-shaped, the flowers 

 not so large, and usually of a pale red, but 

 sometimes white, which is a native of Switzer- 

 land, &c. 



CuUi'.re. — These plants are capable of being 

 inci cased by p.trting the roots and planting 

 them out early in the autumn where they are to 



remain. The roots should not be parted nftcncr 

 than every third year. When seeds can be 

 procured, they may also be raised bv sowing 

 them in the earlv sprini;, where they are to rc- 

 ntain. The |ilants succeed best in a loamy s<;il 

 and eastern aspect. 



They aiford ornament in the borders and 

 other parts of pleasure-grounds. 



MF:L0N. See Cucumis. 



MELON-GROUND, the space or portion of 

 ground in the kitchen-garden, or other place, 

 appropriated to the culture of Melons and 

 other vegetables that require artificial heat. See 

 Garden, and Melonary. 



MELONARY, the portion of ground in the 

 kitchen-garden principally allotted for the busi- 

 ness of early and general hot-bed work, in the 

 culture of Melons and Cucumbers as well as 

 occasionally in other framing culture. 



These places are mostly inclosed bv some sort 

 of fence, and are particularly convenient and 

 useful, as in the practice of hot-bed culture 

 there is unavoidably a considerable litterino^ oc- 

 casioned at times, by means of the necessary 

 supplies of hot-dung, straw, litter, and other 

 materials, both in the making of the beds and 

 after-culture ; which by this means being con- 

 fined to a particular part, the whole is perform- 

 ed more conveniently, andwithoutineommoding 

 the ceconomy of the other parts of the garden. 



They are also very useful when properly 

 chosen in the driest and warmest situations, in 

 the advantage of having the hot-beds on dry 

 ground, and sheltered from cutting winds, with 

 the full benefit of the whole day's sun, as well 

 as in being more secure. 



In considerable gardens, the places allotted for 

 this use are sometimes of such extent, as to have 

 the hot-houses, or forcing-houses, and other ap- 

 purtenances of that kind, where culture bv arti*- 

 ficial heat is required, near together, bv which 

 time and trouble is saved. 



In the choice of a place for this purpose, 

 some part of the warmest, best-sheltered, dry 

 quarter of the garden, which is well defended 

 from the northerly and north-easterly winds 

 and where the ground is dry at all seasons, not li- 

 able to inundation or the stagnation of water, and 

 conveniently situated for bringing in dung, t.tii, 

 earth, &c., should be fixed up'ju. 



And if, with these advantages, it lies rather 

 a little higher or very gently sloping towards 

 some lower part, it will be more prcjpcr, espe- 

 cially when towards the full sun Irom risiiu- to 

 setting, so as to admit of ranging the hot- beds 

 longitudinally east and west,, or as nearly in thai 

 direction as possible. See GAiiDr.v. 



The extent or dimensions must be aecardin;"; to 



