THE MELON. 559 



CHAPTER XIX. 



THE MELON. 



Cucumis Melo, L. Cucurbitacea, of botanists. 



Melon, of the French. ; Mdona, German ; Meleon, Dutch ; Melone, Italian, 

 and Melon, Spanish. 



THE Melon (or Muskmelon) is the richest and most luscious of all 

 herbaceous fruits. The plant which bears this fruit is a trailing annual, 

 supposed to be a native of Persia, but which has been so long in cultiva- 

 tion in all warm climates that it is quite doubtful which is its native 

 country. 



The climate of the Middle and Southern States is remarkably favor- 

 able for it indeed far more so than that of England, France, or any 

 of the temperate portions of Europe. Consequently Melons are raised as 

 field crops by market gardeners, and in the month of August the finest 

 citrons or green-fleshed Melons may be seen in all the markets of the 

 States in immense quantities. Warm dry soils are peculiarly favor- 

 able to the growth of Melons, and even at low prices the product is so 

 large that this crop is one of the most profitable. 



CULTURE. The culture of the Melon is very easy in all except 

 the most northern portions of the United States. Early in May a 

 piece of rich, light soil is selected, well manured, and thoroughly dug or 

 prepared by deep ploughing and harrowing. Hills are then marked out, 

 six feet apart each way. These hills are prepared by digging a foot 

 deep and two feet across, which are filled half full of good, well-rotted 

 manure. Upon the latter are thrown three or four inches of soil, and 

 both manure and soil are then well mixed together. More soil, well 

 pulverized, is now thrown over the top, so as to complete the hill, mak- 

 ing it three inches higher than the surface. Upon this plant eight or 

 ten grains of seed, covering them about half an inch deep. 



When the plants have made two rough leaves, thin them so as to 

 leave but two or three to each hill. Draw the earth nicely around the 

 base of the plants with the hoe. In case the striped bug ( Galereuaca 

 vittala) attack the plants, which it often does, the best remedy is to 

 hand-pick them early in the morning and then draw earth up even with 

 the base of the leaves. The cucumber flea-beetle is kept off by dusting 

 the vines early in the morning, daily, for a period, while they are yet 

 moist with dew, using either dry fine soil, soot, or plaster. 



As soon as the runners show the first blossom-buds, stop them by 

 pinching out the bud at the extremities. This will cause an increased 

 production of lateral shoots, and add to the size of the fruit. Nothing 

 more is necessary but to keep the surface free from weeds, and to stir 

 the soil lightly with the hoe, in field culture. In gardens, thinning the 

 fruit, and placing bits of slate or blackened shingles under each fruit, 

 improve its size and flavor. 



To retain a fine sort of Melon in perfection, it should be grown at 

 some distance from any other sort, or even from any of the cucumber 

 family, otherwise the seeds of the next generation of fruit will be spoiled 

 by the mixture of the pollen. 



VARIETIES. A large number of varieties are enumerated, but many 



