92 KITCHEN-GARDENING. 



and those persons who are fond of Lettuce may raise such 

 throughout the summer. But market gardeners seldom 

 attempt it, unless they have a tract of moist, loamy soil, 

 peculiarly adapted to the growth of head Lettuce, in anything 

 like a propitious season. 



"Where the soil in a garden is heavy, by mingling a load of 

 sand vv'ith a small plot of ground for a bed of Lettuce, heads 

 may be obtained much sooner than they will grow in a heavy 

 soil. 



MELON. 



Melon. Cucumis melo. 



The Melon is an exotic plant, growing wild in Asa. It is 

 cultivated in all the warm countries of Europe, and also in 

 Africa and America, where its salubrious and cooling fruit is 

 generally esteemed. 



For the varieties of the Musk or Canteleupe Melons, prepare 

 a piece of rich ground early in May ; manure, and give it a 

 good digging ; then mark it out into squares of six feet every 

 way. At the angle of each square, dig a hole twelve inches deep 

 and eighteen broad, into which put about six inches of old, 

 rotten dung. Throw thereon about four inches of earth, and 

 mix the dung and earth well with the spade ; after which 

 draw more earth over the mixture, so as to form a circular hill 

 about a foot broad at top. When your hills are all prepared, 

 plant in each, towards the centre, six or eight grains of seed, 

 distant two inches from each other, and cover them half an 

 inch deep. One ounce of good Melon-seed will plant about 

 one hundred and tw^enty hills. 



When the plants are in a state of forwardness, producing 

 their rough leaves, they must be thinned to two or three 

 in each hill. Draw earth from time to time around the hills 

 and about the roots of the plants. As soon as the plants 



