THE MELON. 209 



having the fruit thus raised off the soil and suspended 

 in the air, places them in a position more conducive to 

 good flavour than when cultivated on the dung-bed 

 system. And some points at least in their management, 

 such as setting the fruit, are more certain on the trellis 

 system than when the plants are trained on the surface 

 of the soil and unaided by the drier heat of hot-water 

 pipes. And very early and late crops are less precari- 

 ous and troublesome than when the heat is dependent 

 on fermenting materials alone. Knowing that there are 

 still plenty of gardeners and amateur growers all over 

 the kingdom who have to raise their crops of melons by 

 means of the old fermenting dung-bed and frames, to 

 make these directions as comprehensive as the circum- 

 stances demand, both systems will be treated of South 

 of the Humber, in England, very little preparation is 

 required to produce a crop of melons in the hottest 

 months of the year in pits and frames, which in the 

 earlier part of the year are generally used for hardening 

 off flower-garden plants, without the means of applying 

 artificial heat. In the neighbourhood of London, I have 

 regularly grown good crops by merely putting about 

 a foot of half-decayed leaves or stable manure in the 

 frame under the soil. In the north, however, seasons 

 of such sunlight and heat as would enable this to be 

 effected without a little artificial heat do not often 

 occur ; and in such localities it is always best to prepare 

 accordingly, and to choose certainly not the most tender 

 and uncertain varieties for summer culture in frames 

 not supplied with artificial heat. 



Plenty of melons have, however, been ripened in May 

 by means of hotbeds and common garden frames and 

 pits, but not without much care and labour; and for 



o 



