THE MELON. 215 



SOIL AND PLANTING, ETC. 



Like most other fruit-bearing plants, the melon thrives 

 best in loamy or calcareous soil — rather adhesive than 

 otherwise. The top 6 inches of an old pasture that has 

 been stacked in the compost-yard for twelve months is 

 to be preferred. For the production of early melons, in 

 the comparative absence of sun, I do not recommend 

 any addition of manure, especially on dung-beds, as 

 melon-roots generally penetrate beyond the soil and 

 feed on the manure and leaves of which the bed is com- 

 posed. Neither do I recommend the soil for very early 

 melons to be so retentive as is desirable for their sum- 

 mer culture. In preparing such soil for being put into 

 the frames, the turfy portions of it should be broken up, 

 with the hand or with a spade, and the rough and iine 

 portions well mixed together. Wire-worms are most 

 destructive to young melon-plants ; and if there be any 

 in the soil, it should be carefully examined and the 

 worms removed. As soon as the fruiting-bed has begun 

 to heat, place a ridge of the soil 1 foot deep, about 2 feet 

 wide at base, and tapering to 8 or 9 inches at top, along 

 the centre of the frame. The ridge should be pressed 

 firmly with the hands as it is formed, but not beaten 

 with a mallet, as is frequently the case, especially if it 

 is heavy. On hotbeds such as are now being considered, 

 it is a safe plan to place thin turfs, grassy side down- 

 wards, all the length and width of the ridge of soil. It 

 prevents the likelihood of the roots of the plants being 

 burned by too violent a heat. All the remaining surface 

 of the bed should then be covered with 2 inches of the 

 loam, rather firmly pressed down, to prevent steam from 

 escaping too freely into the frame, As soon as the tem- 



