412 On shadi?ig Melon and Cucumber Plants. 



Art. X. On shading Melon and Cucumber Plants. By John 

 Wighton, Gardener to Lord Stafford, at Cossey Hall, Norfolk. 



It is a very common practice to shade melon and cucumber 

 plants from bright sunshine ; but I am convinced that more 

 harm than good is the result of such a practice. Of late years, I 

 have not shaded my plants; and, though the glass which I use 

 is very clear, I never find the plants injured by the sun, when 

 plenty of air is admitted. There are two cases in which the 

 plants seem to require shading : first, when the plants are very 

 weak, or newly planted ; and, secondly, when there has not been 

 enough air admitted to the plants during sunshine. In the first 

 case, a little shading is required when the sun shines ; but it 

 must not be long continued, otherwise the plants will be weak- 

 ened for want of light. In the second case, no shading is re- 

 quisite, provided that plenty of air is admitted. 



The evil of too much shading has arisen in a great measure 

 from the false notion, that the leaves are burnt by the action of 

 the sun through the glass ; but the truth is, that this is occa- 

 sioned by the hot air confined in the beds. When shading is 

 once resorted to, it must be continued through the season. If 

 it be once neglected, the plants will certainly be injured ; for 

 they are rendered so weak by the practice of shading, that they 

 cannot bear the glare of the sun. 



Some will deny this, alleging that plants not grown under 

 glass, are never injured by the bright sun. But the reason of 

 this is, that they are not confined and surrounded by hot air to 

 scorch their leaves like those grown under glass. Moreover, 

 glass affords some little shade, by excluding in every case a 

 certain proportion of the sun's rays. For if glass were removed 

 from plants grown under it, they would be burnt by the sun; 

 and if glass were placed over plants unaccustomed to it, for a 

 few days, and then removed, the plants would be scorched, as in 

 the other case. This proves, that glass affords some degree of 

 shade; and it must be injurious to plants grown under it, to 

 shade them more than the glass does, except in particular cases. 

 For it is well known, that melon and cucumber plants, grown 

 without the protection of glass, do not thrive, except in hot 

 sunshine. 



It is not uncommon to see melon and cucumber beds shaded 

 with mats from eleven till two o'clock, when the sun shines 

 bright. But this is very injurious to the plants, as it affords 

 them less light in the middle of the day than in the mornings 

 and evenings. I have always observed that plants accustomed 

 to much shade were very weak, and that they often received 

 injury by the occasional neglect of shading; because, being used 

 to this, they could not bear the hot sun. I am persuaded, then, 



