ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE PERSIAN VARIETIES OF THE MELON. 317 



mentioned, in a former communication upon the culture of the melon, that 

 a single melon .or gourd will put in requisition, during the period of its 

 rapid growth, the services of the most distant leaf, and cause the most 

 distant blossom to fall off abortively. But I was, at that period, wholly 

 unprepared to offer any conjecture whatever respecting the power by 

 which the sap generated in very distant leaves could be conveyed to the 

 extent indicated to the fruit. 



The above mentioned discoveries of M. Dutrochet appear to me to 

 have thrown some light upon this mysterious point ; for if the fluid within 

 the fruit be denser than that in the leaves and stems, (and in certain 

 states at least of the growth of the fruit it certainly is so,) the lighter 

 fluid must rush into the denser ; and that the sap flows in very large 

 quantity into the growing melon, can I think scarcely be doubted. I am 

 well satisfied that a very large quantity of the sap of the plant, or more 

 properly of the aqueous part of that fluid, passes through the fruit into 

 the vessels of the plant again ; but by what means it can be propelled, I 

 am wholly at a loss to conjecture. Much must, I conceive, be done by 

 some operation of the fruit itself; for it is totally absurd to suppose that 

 a distant leaf can, by any mode of action properly its own, cause the true 

 sap which it generates, to flow to and into the fruit. Previously to the 

 maturity of my late crop of melons, I had prepared some strong cucum- 

 ber plants, which I had protected from the frost ; and these being brought 

 into the place whence the melon plants had been taken, afforded me a 

 crop of fine cucumbers in November and December. I have now cucum- 

 ber plants growing in great health and vigour, from which I do not 

 entertain any doubt of obtaining an abundant crop of cucumbers in 

 March and the beginning of April, when it is my intention to introduce 

 strong Ispahan melon plants ; and I feel confident that, by having a 

 proper plant ready to supply the place of every one which affords a ripe 

 fruit, I shall be able to obtain two abundant crops of excellent melons 

 within the same season*, if these expectations should prove to be well 

 founded, I conceive that forcing-houses, such as I have described, for the 

 culture of very early cucumbers and Persian melons, might be erected with 

 advantage in those districts in which coals are raised ; for the dust of 

 coals is all that is wanted, and in fact is preferable; and cucumbers can 

 be sent to a very considerable distance without suffering much, and melons 

 without suffering any deterioration. 



The best varieties of Persian melons are, I believe, very subject to 

 burst when raised in this country ; and I imagine that they very frequently 



* I shall obtain three successions in the present season. 



