MEL 



528 ] 



MEL 



MELI'SSA. Balm. (From mdissa, a 

 bee ; literally, a bee-flower. Nat. ord. 

 Labiates [Lamiacese], Linn., \k-Didy 

 tiamia \-Gymnospermia.} 



Hardy herbaceous perennials. Dividing thi 

 roots in spring ; common garden-soil. See BALM 

 jjf. Creftica (Cretan). White, purple. June 



Candia. 15Q6. 

 officimi'lis (shop). 1. White. July. South 



Europe. 1573. 

 variega'ta (striped-leaved). 1. White 



June. Gardens. 

 vitlo'sa (shaggy). White. August 



Italy. 1573. 



microphy'lla (small-leaved). |. Purple 



June. Corsica. 1829. 



polyu'nthos (many -flowered). 1. White 



July. 1820. 



Pyrcna'ica (Pyrenean). 1. White, purple 



July. Pyrenees. 1800. 



MELI'TTTS. Bastard Balm. (The 

 same derivation as Melissa. Nat. ord. 

 Labiates [Lamiacese], Liun., lDidy- 

 namia 1-Gymnospermia.} 



Same culture as BALM. 

 M. melissophy'llum (balm-leaved). t. Flesh. 



May. England. 

 alpi'na (alpine), f . Flesh. May 



land. 

 grandijlo'ra (large-flowered). 1. White, 



yellow. May. England. 



MELOCA'CTUS, or MELON-SHAPED CAC- 

 TUS, a sectional genus of Cactus, differing 

 from Echinocactus in having the flowers 

 produced on a head covered with dense, 

 woolly, and hristly hairs, called a tomen- 

 tum, while those of Echinocactus issue 

 from the bare ribs, or angles. Treatment 

 similar to that for Mammillaria. Suckers 

 and offsets; loam, peat, and lime-rubbish. 



MELODI'NUS. (From melon, an apple, 

 and dineo, to turn round ; referring to 

 the shape of the fruit. Nat. ord., Dog- 

 banes [Apocynaceae] . Linn., 5-Pentan- 

 dria 2-Digynia. Allied to Carissa.) 



The fruit of this and some other allied genera 

 are eatable, but not of much merit. Stove ever- 

 green twiners, with white flowers, blooming in 

 July. Cuttings of half-ripened side-shoots in 

 sand, under a bell-glass, in heat ; peat and loam, 

 with a little sand. Winter temp., 50 to 6oj 

 summer, 6S a to 85. 



M. mono'gynus (one-pistiled). 10. E. Ind. 1820. 



parvifo'lius (small-leaved). E. Ind. 1/75. 



sca'ndens( climbing). J5. New Caledonia. 1775. 



undulatus (waved-teawd). E. Ind. 

 MELOLONTHA. Every one knows the 



common May-bug, or Cockchafer (Melo- 

 lonthavulgttris} ; a drawing and a descrip- 

 tion of its grub are given at page 15, 

 vol. v., of The Cottage Gardener. This 

 grub very closely resembles that of ano- 

 ther species, M. horlicola, Garden Beetle 



entomologists. The latter beetle (Ibid, 

 ii., 171) is found in June and July, 

 among the petals of white roses. It is 

 nearly half an inch long, and rather less 

 than a quarter of an inch broad. Its 

 wing-cases are reddish-brown, shining, 

 and shorter than the body; the body and 

 head are dark green, and the antennae 

 reddish, having at their ends a dark- 

 green club. It also feeds on the leaves 

 of apples, pears, and roses, gnawing them 

 full of small holes, and even transferring 

 its attacks to the young fruit of the 

 apple. During the latter part of July 

 the female retires into the earth for the 

 purpose of there depositing her eggs, 

 from which the grubs speedily are pro- 

 duced, and feed upon the roots of plants, 

 especially of grass. The only mode of 

 reducing the number of these beetles is 

 by searching for them during the even- 

 ing, when, if detected, they stiffen their 

 outstretched legs, and feign death ; but 

 in the day they fly about swiftly, and are 

 captured with great difficulty. It is said 

 that when grass suffers from the grubs 

 of either of these beetles, they may be 

 extirpated by watering with the arumo- 

 niacal liquor from gas-works. 



ME'LON. (Cu'cumis me'lo.) 



Varieties. These are so numerous, 

 that we must be very severe in our selec- 

 tion, confining ourselves to such as are 

 most generally useful in Britain ; and 

 :hese we must classify according to their 

 habits'. 



Cantaloups, the Eocks, the Green- 

 fleshed, the Valentia, or Winter, and the 

 with their various hybrids. 

 Amongst the Cantaloups we have both 

 round and oblong, plain and netted, the 

 Orange, the Montagnes, &c. In the 

 Hocks we have the Small Scarlet-fleshed, . 

 he Black, the Large, and the Early, 

 fee. In the Green-flesh class we may 

 ioint to the Beech-wood, which may al- 

 nost be considered the type of this sec- 

 ion, the Small Green-fleshed Egyptian, 

 )f exquisite flavour, and thin rind ; 

 hese, with the 'various varieties known 

 >y the name of Snow's, Terry's, the Keiv- 

 green-flesh, &c. These are the most 



melons, being hardy, 

 not liable to rot or 



generally useful 

 ree-setters, and 

 tanker. 



Next we may advert to the Winter 

 Melons, a class which will keep a long 

 ime after they are cut ; and the Valentia. 



or Brackenclock Phylhpertha of some ] may be placed amongst this division. 



