Tlie Gai]ldener's New Director. 107 



new comport upon their roots, and over the bed ; and af- 

 ter taking ofF their rotted leaves, I laid them down again 

 in the fame order, givmg them a good watering or two; 

 in v/arm da3's railed the glafl'es, and in cold nights cover- 

 ed them with matts ; and by the end of yl'^iguji I had two 

 pair of good Melons out of danger in each light; thefe, 

 in the month of September, and even until the middle of 

 O^ober, fwelled well, and many of them were near as 

 large as the firll ; but the fun faded in giving tht-m ripe- 

 nefs and flavour. To remedy this, I cut the fruit about 

 the fifteenth of Oclohcr, vvith three feet of- vine to them, 

 and twilling it, I put them into pots filled v/ith good 

 mould, plungug them into the tan-bed in the llove, which 

 was kept only to a mode; ate heat, here tlie vines foon 

 took root, and the Melons ripened to great perfeclion, 

 in tafle, flavour, and juice, until the middle of Decem- 

 ber. I laid the Melon fruit,, in the tan-bed, upon 

 bricks to keep them dry ; and when this fecond 

 crop was forming, I did not prune much, but was 

 careful, that, at this feafon, the fruit fhould not be too 

 much encumbered with leaves, gently watering theni 

 until I found the fruit was of a confiderable fiie ; ob- 

 ferving to cover the glalTes well at nip;ht, which ei"- 

 Icctually prefeived the fruit from the f rolls, that in Sep- 

 tember zx\& O^ober, happen in this country. 



I have the feed of a Melon, which I low the firft week 

 in April:, it is very curious, as it never lets its fruit un- 

 til three months after it, has been fov/n, notwlthftanding 

 all the necclfary heat and care that is applied to it; ami 

 then it fwelis, becomes very large, and continues green and 

 very hard in the {km, and feems to part with its pedi- 

 cle about the middle of Oaober, flill continuing green 

 and hard. 1 had it from Monficur Ratbgeb, tf.e Imperial 

 Rtifideiu at London^ who infor.-r.ed me that it was the 

 iVIelori they ufed in Ilr.iy in winter. When they part 

 from their pedicle, they are hung up in a cool room 

 ircQ from frolt, one by one in nets, and ten days be- 

 fore they are ufed, they are brought into tl.c kitchen, or 

 a room where a good fire is kept; there they ripen 

 during the whole winter; when the fkin becomes ihin, 

 turns to a lemon yellow^ and emits a very poignant 



otlour. 



