THEORY OP VEGETATION* 353 



As soon as the plant has attained its age of puberty, a Blossoms and 

 portion of its sap is expended in the production of blossoms a " 

 and fruit. These originate from, and are fed by central 

 vessels, apparently similar to those of the succulent annual 

 shoot and leaf stalk, and which probably convey a similar 

 fluid ; for a bunch of grapes grew and ripened, when grafted 

 upon a leaf stalk ; and a succulent young shoot of the vine, 

 under the same circumstances, acquired a growth of many 

 feet * 



The fruit, or seed-vessel, appears to be generated wholly Fruit, 

 by the prepared sap of the plant, and its chief office to be 

 that of adapting the fluids, which ascend into it, to afford 

 proper nutriment to the seeds it contains. I proceed to 

 offer some observations upon the proper culture of the 

 melon f . 



There is not, I believe, any species of fruit at present Melons not 



cultivated in the gardens of this country, which so rarely brou g h . t t0 dl,e 



° * ' J perfection, 



acquires the greatest degree of perfection, which it is capa- 

 ble of acquiring in our climate, as the melon. It is gene- 

 rally found so defective both in richness and flavour, that 

 it ill repays the expanse and trouble of its culture; and my 

 own gardener, though not defective in skill or attention, 

 had generally so little success, that I had given him orders 

 not to plant melons again. Attending, however, after my 

 orders were given, more closely to his mode of culture, and 

 to that of other gardeners in my neighbourhood, I thought 

 I saw sufficient cause for the want of flavour in the fruit, 

 in the want of efficient foliage; and appealing to experi- from the want 

 ment, I have had ample reason to think my opinions well f olia e aen 

 founded. 



The leaves of the melon, as of every other plant, naturally Causes of thi;. 

 arrange themselves so as to present, with the utmost advan- 

 tage, their upper surfaces to the light; and if by any means 

 the position of the plant is changed, the leaves, as long as 

 they are young and vigorous, make efforts to regain their 

 proper position. But the extended branches of the melon 

 plant, particularly under glass, are slender and feeble; its 



* Phil. Trans. 1S03 and 1804: Journ. vol. X, p. 293. 

 f Ibid. 1801. 



Vol. XXXII. Supplement. 2 B leaves 



