MELON-GROWING IN THE HOUSE i73 



carelessness in allowing too niucii moisture to lodge around the necks of the 

 plants. A batch of plants can easily be lost in this way in a few days. When 

 a vine shows signs of damping off, place some slaked lime around its neck, 

 mixed with some powdered charcoal. 



In repotting or boxing it is important to lune the new soil of the same 

 temperature as that in which the plant has been growing. There is nothing 

 worse than to add cold soil to the roots. 



A grower desiring to produce Melons during the Winter must be quick 

 to seize every little advantage; above all, a steady temperature must be kept 

 night and day. During very hard firing the plants will be benefited by damping 

 down a couple of times during the night, if there is a night fireman at hand; 

 if not, damp down around lo p. m. This will help the foliage, for too dry an 

 atmosphere will cause it to dry up. 



As to the usual method of planting for early Spring and during the Summer 

 months, good Melons have been grown in six inches of soil, and also a foot deep. 

 In fact, years ago soil from a foot to eighteen inches deep was recommended. 

 But with the high grade of manure we now have and with our systematic feeding 

 it is not necessary or advisable to use such a heavy bulk of soil. Fresh soil 

 should be brought in for each crop. The best dimensions are found in a space 

 two feet wide and six or seven inches deep; this will hold enough soil to produce 

 an excellent crop. Set the plants in hills fifteen inches apart and train up to 

 trellis. I prefer to set the plants rather close together, training only one main 

 shoot to each plant. No pinching is then needed, until within six inches of 

 the desired height, when the point may be pinched. This will cause side shoots 

 to come away from every leaf joint. These lateral growths are what we depend 

 on for our crop. Fruit usually shows at the first leaf, then the shoot should 

 be pinched again one leal beyond the first. 



SETTING THE FRUIT 



The Melon is dioecious, bearing male and female flowers on the same plant. 

 The first is essential for the fertilization of the second. The male flower has 

 three stamens united by their anthers, but the filaments are distinct. The 

 part between the stem and base of the corolla is slender and cyfindrical. The 

 female flower i.- readily distinguished from the male, being altogether stouter. 

 In the Summer, with an abundance of fresh air admitted and bees among the 

 blossoms, the pollen may be fairly w^ell distributed without the aid of hand 

 fertilization. But it is not wise to depend on circumstances, as the operation 

 does not require much time. It is well to bear in mind the number of fruit 

 that each vine is to carry. When the plants are set fifteen inches apart, two 

 Melons on each vine will make an excellent crop, particularly for private use, 

 where two perfectly finished Melons will count more than four poor ones. But 

 whatever may be the desired number on each vine, the full complement should 

 be set on the vine at one time, otherwise the early set blossom will take the 

 lead, while the others may refuse to swell at all. The operation is simple. In the 

 first place, see that the pollen is perfectly dry. Then when both male and female 



