Forcing the Melon for early Fruit. 117 



the back of the frame, never stopping them till they reach to 

 within 1 ft. of the sides, back and front, when that operation 

 is performed : this causes them to produce a lateral shoot at 

 every joint, which must be pegged down in a horizontal direction. 

 These laterals will generally show fruit at the first or second 

 joint, which must be carefully impregnated, and the laterals must 

 be stopped back to one leaf before the fruit a few days afterwards. 

 By leaving them unstopped for a few days after impregnation, the 

 fruit is not so apt to get yellow, and to damp off. If it happens 

 that three or four female flowers expand before the general 

 expansion, they must be nipped off; otherwise they will rob 

 the later ones of their due share of nourishment, and con- 

 sequently prevent their coming to perfection. When the fruit is 

 all set, I prune off entirely such of the laterals as have no fruit on 

 them ; in consequence of which, no more vine is left to exhaust 

 the plants than what is absolutely wanted. The state of the beds 

 will require to be properly attended to from the time of the plants 

 being planted out till they mature their fruit, that they may sus- 

 tain no injury; for, if they once receive a check, disease is certain 

 to follow. 



A brisk growing heat must be kept up, according to the state 

 of the weather; and air must be freely admitted every day, more 

 or less, as the weather will permit ; and if any error be committed 

 it had better be on the side of air than otherwise, as the want of 

 it tends greatly to weaken the plants, and melon plants do not 

 fruit well unless they are grown stubby. To guard against cut- 

 ting winds, which are prevalent in the early part of the season, 

 it will be advisable to fasten a slip of bast matting along the back 

 of the frame to fold over the opening while air is admitted ; this 

 will soften the air as it passes into the frame. Water, at the 

 roots of the plants, must be given very sparingly : indeed, when 

 they have the depth of soil that I have recommended, it will not 

 be necessary to give them any more of that element than a slight 

 sprinkling over the foliage occasionally in fine weather, and a 

 little manure water at the roots when their fruit is swelling off, 

 which aids them greatly whilst they are in that stage of their 

 growth. An extreme portion, however, must be guarded against ; 

 as there is nothing in the culture of the melon that is so pernicious 

 as an excess of water at the roots ; not even excepting the Persian 

 varieties, which, I find, are apt to have their thin and tender skin 

 burst by this means. 



I cover the surface of the soil in the bed with fine pit or river 

 sand, in place of the general practice of laying down slates or 

 pantiles, which form a secure harbour for woodlice. The sand 

 answers the same purpose as slates, and also effectually excludes 

 woodlice from the frame. Many cures have been prescribed for 



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