Jacquin's Monographie complete du Melon. 357 



vented, ere the completion of his project, from further prose- 

 cuting it, by the failure of his sight. To give some notion of 

 how difficult a task it was he had undertaken, I need only 

 remark, that he confesses, in the second of his publications, 

 which, together, contain as much matter as the work before 

 us, " that he was still unable to give a complete treatise on 

 the melon : " this, too, after an experience of six years, during 

 which, with the advantage of his long practised habits of 

 observation, he had applied himself closely to its culture, in 

 some seasons fruiting from two to three hundred plants.* 



M. Jacquin has divided his work into two parts, culture 

 and description ; and each of these is subdivided into sections 

 and divisions. He sets out by deprecating the bad policy of 

 gentlemen in refusing to their gardeners sufficient means to 

 enable them successfully to cultivate the melon; promising to 

 convince them, in the sequel, that they may procure them at 

 less expense than if they resorted to the market : he then 

 proceeds to point out the different kinds of fermenting 

 matter that may be made available, enumerating a long list 

 of heterogeneous substances, with instructions for preparing 

 them for use. Division 2. treats of composts. In Division 

 3. are given minute directions for the construction of frames 

 (which, it may be remarked, are, even in the north of France, 

 employed to obtain early crops, only large bell and hand 

 glasses being found sufficient in the later season). His es- 

 timate of a two-light frame, each sash 4- feet square, is 20 

 francs 10 centimes (about equal to I6s.)^ provided the glazing 

 is done by the gardener. He would employ, for the boards of 

 the frame, the planking of broken-up vessels. Some useful 

 hints may, indeed, be gathered from this part, by those 

 desirous of going the cheapest way to work.f Bell and 

 hand glasses, and mats for shading and protection, are then 

 fully described. Division 5., situation and arrangement of 

 the melon ground. Section 2. commences with directions, 

 still entering into the most minute details, for the formation of 

 beds for frames and bell glasses, as likewise for those sunk in 

 the ground, to be protected also by bell glasses, and showing 

 the attentions necessary in the culture under each circum- 

 stance : and these are the only modes of applying the aid 



* M. Sageret is also the author of many occasional papers published in 

 different Annales, and of a work entitled Pomologie Physiologique, which I 

 would recommend to the notice of all who are interested in the amelior- 

 ation of our fruits in general. 



-j- Mr. Paxton gives 3/. 1 \s. 3d. as the price, in this country, of a new 

 frame, with two lights, each 6 ft. by 3 ft. 



A A 3 



