JULY.] MELONS. 407 



Cantelope, the Orange Cantelope, and the Netted 

 Cantelope ; planting a part of the pit with each *. 



A very mild bottom heat is sufficient for the pur- 

 pose here in view ; and if the pit have been occu- 

 pied in the forcing of asparagus, French beans, or 

 strawberries, on a bark, or bark and dung, or on a 

 bark and leaf heat, it will require no other prepara- 

 tion than to be stirred up, and have a little fresh 

 materials added ; keeping the fresh bark, dung, or 

 leaves well down, and finishing the bed with some 

 of the smallest and best reduced. When it has 

 settled a few days, let it be moulded all over to the 

 thickness of twelve or fifteen inches ; previously 

 laying on a little more of the above small materials, 

 in order to keep the plants well up to the glass, as 

 the bed will fall considerably in the settling. It 

 should be formed, and the mould should be laid on, 

 in a sloping manner, from back to front, so as in 

 some measure to correspond with the glasses. 



All being ready for the plants, they may either 

 be planted in a row in the middle of the pit, at two 

 feet apart, or jnay be planted in two rows, at four 



* Planting different sorts in early hot-beds, from which 

 seeds are to be saved, is not advisable, if it be wished to 

 have the kinds genuine, and distinct ; as there might be a 

 degeneration in consequence of a mixture of farina. But in 

 this kind of pit, different kinds may be planted, as they will 

 come in very late, and the seeds may perhaps not be suffi- 

 ciently matured for saving ; at least there would be a chance 

 of the plants, raised from such seeds, running very much to 

 vines. 



