THE MANSE GARDEN*. 167 



seductions of this little world of pleasure are generally 

 feared; nevertheless, as in the greater instance, " bit 

 by bit the world is swallowed." 



Whether the melon ought to be admitted into 

 the manse garden is a question which the following 

 may help to solve : The author once had thoughts 

 of cultivating this fruit, and of giving its process of 

 culture a place in this manual. The breadth of glass 

 seemed not very formidable, and the requisite heat is 

 not that of actual combustion. Nay, there arises from 

 this very thing an argument of beautiful economy. 

 A dunghill must ferment somewhere, and its heat is 

 dissipated. Instead of giving this warmth to the 

 unthankful winds, why not apply it to the production 

 of the rich odour and nectarine juice of the melon ? 

 Full of this argument, the next thing was to get the 

 needful science; and proceeding in this search, the 

 title of Chap. I, " Melon Garden," proved not a 

 little staggering. Then came something about the 

 convenience of a cart road leading to the interior, 

 namely, of the melon garden another staggerer. 

 But still a wheelbarrow road might do ; and melon 

 garden, after all, might signify only a part of the 

 garden separated from the rest by a holly hedge. 

 But next came the various sets of hotbeds and hot 

 ridges, the one-light and two-light frames; the ther- 

 mometrical trials; the decay, the revival, and the 

 preservation of heat ; the opening of the glass for 

 air and the hazard of a shower; the awnings for the 

 sun and the mattings for the frost ; the constant 

 waterings, with the cautions not to wet a leaf; the 

 drying of the seed by animal heat, that is by carry- 

 ing it in the pocket, and keeping it till five years 



