350 VEGETABLE FORCING 
Fertilizing —The fertilizer requirements of the melon 
and cucumber are very similar. Good melons cannot be 
grown in a soil that is not well provided with plant food. 
Although a fertile soil is essential, excessive fertility, 
especially in available nitrogen, must be avoided, since 
it will encourage a rank growth, and result in the pro- 
duction of low quality melons. In the preparation of the 
soil, one should endeavor to supply nutrients sufficient to 
cause a healthy, normal growth until the fruit is set, and 
then more liberal feeding should be practiced. Nitrog- 
enous manures and fertilizers used in the preparation 
of the beds should not be employed in large amounts, if 
at all. Among such materials may be mentioned fresh 
horse manure, poultry droppings, sheep manure, nitrate 
of soda and dried blood. Well-decayed manures, particu- 
larly cow manure, may be used in large amounts without 
danger of disastrous results in any respect. 
When the fruit is set, then more liberal feeding is re- 
quired to insure the production of large melons and the 
development of high quality. A common practice is to 
employ at this stage liquid cow manure and to apply it 
as often as may be necessary. The frequency of the 
application will depend mainly on the fertility of the bed. 
Ordinarily, one or two applications a week will meet the 
needs of the plant. 
Some growers prefer to apply chemical fertilizers after 
the fruit is set, for they claim that materials like the 
potash salts, acid phosphate and nitrate of soda produce 
melons of higher quality than does liquid cow manure. 
Wood ashes are sometimes employed as a top-dressing. 
Lime is also considered beneficial. If the roots appear 
in large numbers near the surface of the ground, a dress- 
ing of rich soil an inch deep will be found beneficial. 
Soil -preparation—The English growers attach special 
importance to the use of old sods in the preparation of 
soil for melons. The sods may be several inches thick, 
