AMERICAN GARDENER. 161 



poses. The double one is an ornamental flower, 

 and a very mean one indeed. 



234. MELON. There are, all the world 

 knows, two distinct tribes: the Musk^ and the 

 Water. Of the former the sorts are endless, and, 

 indeed, of the latter also. Some of both tribes 

 are globular and others oblong ; and, in both 

 tribes there are different colours, as well with re- 

 gard to flesh as to rind. In this fine country, 

 where they all come to perfection in the natural 

 ground, no distinction is made as to earliness, or 

 lateness in sorts; and, in other respects, some 

 like one sort best, and some another. Amongst 

 the Musk melons the Citron is, according to my 

 taste, the finest by far; and the finest Water 

 melons that I have ever tasted were raised from 

 seed that came out of melons grown in Georgia 

 As to the manner of propagating, cultivating, 

 and sowing the seed of melons, see Cucumber, 

 and only observe, that all that is there said ap- 

 plies to melons as well as to cucumbers. To have 

 melons a month earlier than the natural ground 

 sowings will produce them is an object of much 

 greater importance than to have cucumbers so 

 much earlier; and, to accomplish that object^ 

 you have only to use the same means, in every re- 

 spect, that I have described for the getting earlv 

 cucumbers. The soil should be rich for melons, 

 but it ought not to be freshly dunged; for tha L is 

 apt to rot the plants, especially in a wet year. 

 They like a light and rather sandy soil, and, any 

 where near the sea, wood ashes, or sopers' ashes, 

 is probably, the best manure, and especially in 

 dry -bottomed land ; for ashes attract and retain- 

 the moisture of the atmosphere. It is a great' 

 14* 



