404 Compost for Melons. 



eighteen inches' diameter, and widening gradually upwards 

 (in the shape of an inverted cone, with the apex cut off) to 

 about one half or one third of the whole depth, and then the 

 remainder carried up perfectly cylindrical to the top, the dia- 

 meter of the cylinder being about one third of the whole 

 depth." 



" In fixing on a place to build such a kiln, the side of a 

 hill, near the rock to be burnt into lime, is always preferred: 

 the workmen begin by excavating a large hole in the place 

 where it is to be erected, of sufficient dimensions to bury the 

 back part of it in the ground. In building up the kiln, 

 there are two walls carried up ; the space betwixt them is 

 filled with small rubble, to keep in the heat, and next to the 

 inner wall the kiln has a lining, about a foot or half a yard in 

 width, of a slaty gritstone that will stand heat well : when the 

 lining wants repairs or renewing, the wall behind it keeps the 

 rest of the materials from falling in. A kiln, built according 

 to the plan hereunto annexed, would cost about 251." — Cond. 



Art. VII. On Melon Compost, and on the Lifluence of Soil 

 on the Flowers of Hydrangea hortensis. By W. R. Y. 



I have always used the compost to which the Dutch so 

 strictly adhere ; viz. one third strong hazel loam, one third 

 scouring of ditches, and one third rotten dung, exposing the 

 mixture two years to the influence of the summer and winter, 

 to evaporate what noxious qualities may lurk in the earths ; 

 for it is well known, that in proportion to the degree of salt 

 of iron, it will be proportionably sterile. I had often ob- 

 served the leaves of my melons turn yellow; occasionally 

 plants died for which I could not account: I suspected iron, 

 as it pervades our district, to be the cause ; but as the magnet 

 would not take up any of the compost, my attention was 

 diverted from that point. Similar results, in future seasons, 

 again called my attention to it, and I added lime to correct 

 the sulphate of iron, if any ; but I lost my whole crop, I fan- 

 cied, by the application of the lime. As during winter a red 

 oxide filtered from the compost heap, I again felt certain of 

 the presence of iron. I submitted the compost to the test of 

 burning, and having by that means got rid of the superabun- 

 dant carbon, the magnet immediately detected the iron. I 

 changed my soil, and have never since lost any melon plants. 

 The experiment proves, that the old test of the loadstone may 



