THE MELON. 



higher than these additions of soil. The bed, by the 

 time the final earthing-up is given, should slope to 

 about 6 inches deep of soil at the sides of the frame. 

 For later crops a greater depth is necessary, but for 

 early crops this is enough. 



The night temperature, after the plants are planted, 

 should range from 72 to 75, as near as that can be 

 maintained. And, of course, as in the case of seed- 

 beds, this has to be regulated and kept up by cover- 

 ings, linings, and air- giving. Air -giving should be 

 attended to by degrees, as the day progresses and 

 sunshine strengthens ; and it requires to be taken off 

 in the same careful way in the after-part of the day, 

 shutting up with sun-heat at a temperature of 90, 

 and especially while the heat of the frame is high 

 after it is newly put up putting on a chink of air 

 for the night, if they are good close frames or pits. 

 In early spring it is seldom that much artificial mois- 

 ture has to be made in the frame. This, of course, 

 depends much on the amount of sunshine and air 

 given; and the rule should be to prevent an arid 

 atmosphere, or the surface of the soil from getting 

 dry, by dewing it over with tepid water from a 

 syringe at shutting-up time. It is seldom that much 

 more watering than this is required with early crops 

 until after the melons are set. 



IMPREGNATION, WATERING, ETC, 



The system of training and stopping already de- 

 scribed (page 213) will have to be attended to as the 

 plants extend themselves towards the sides of the 

 frame. And if they are all stopped at one time, so 



