368 | FORCING GARDEN. 
fibres from being scorched. When the roots begin to show 
themselves through the surface of the hillocks, a quantity 
of fresh earth is applied all around them, and in a week or 
in a fortnight after, the whole surface of the bed is covered 
nearly as high as the top of the hills. 
When the plants have got two or three of their rough or 
perfect leaves, the top of the stalklet, which now begins to 
elongate, is pinched off, and from the axille of the leaves 
lateral shoots are soon shot forth. These are fastened 
down with pegs, and are so disposed as regularly to cover 
the surface of the bed. These laterals will sometimes 
show flowers at the second or third joints; if they do not, 
they are topped in their turn, and afford other laterals, 
which seldom fail to be fruitful. As these runners ad- 
vance, they are trained along the surface, and all weak, 
useless shoots are removed, This should be done repeat- 
edly at successive intervals, as it is found injurious to cut 
out a great quantity of shoots and foliage at onetime. No 
plant, as has been shown by Mr. Knight (Hortic. Trans., 
vol. i.), is more beholden to its leaves, both as respects 
health and flavor of fruit, than the melon. In cultivating 
the sweet melon of Ispahan, that excellent cultivator never 
suffered lateral shoots or blossoms to be produced at a less 
distance from the root than the fourteenth or fifteenth joint, 
or more, above the seed-leaves. In this way the expendi- 
ture of sap, being confined to the extremity of a single 
stem, was small compared with the quantity formed; it 
therefore accumulated, and afforded greatly increased nour- 
ishment to the fruit. 
It is seldom proper to leave more than one melon on 
each shoot, and in the large kinds perhaps not more than 
four or five fruit should be left on one plant. When the 
melons begin to swell, a slate or piece of tile is laid under 
