MELON 



VEGETABLE GABDEN 



CBOSNES 1159 



the turfy loam, however, may be added 

 some old mortar rubble or plaster — about 

 '2 barrowloada to a cartload — and half 

 the quantity of leafsoil, thoroughly mixing 

 the whole before placing in the frames. 

 The seeds should be sown in the same 

 way as recommended for Cucumbers, and 

 at the same time. All rank steam should 

 be allowed to escape from the frames 

 before planting, and every attention 

 should be given to training, pinching 

 out the tips of the shoots, watering, 

 syringing &c., as already detailed for 

 Cucumbers. A regular temperature, 

 plenty of light, and a moist atmosphere are 

 essential points in the culture of Melons 

 when they are growing vigorously. 



Setting the Fruits. — Unlike Cucum- 

 bers, it is essential that the female flowers 

 of the Melon should be fertilised with the 

 pollen of the male flowers to induce the 

 development of the fruits. The ' setting ' 

 or fertilising process is performed as 

 follows : — ^When a suf&cient number of 

 female flowers (that is, those containing 

 pistUs only) are fully open, an expanded 

 male flower (that is, one with stamens 

 only) has the corolla detached ; the poUen 

 is then applied to the pistils in the female 

 flowers by holding the male flower and 

 using it like a little brush or duster. If 

 the pollen and the surface of the pistils 

 are both in proper condition fertilisation 

 wiU be effected in the way described at 

 p. 24, and the fruits will in due course begin 

 to swell. To ensure success, the pollen 

 should be applied to the stigmas on 

 bright sunny days between 12 and 2 

 o'clock, and syringing the plants should 

 have ceased a day or two beforehand, so 

 as to secure a dry atmosphere. 



After the fruits have ' set,' the plants 

 may be again syringed reguJarly, two or 

 three times a day, until they begin to 

 show signs of ripening — indicated by 

 the change of colour and the perfume. 

 Watering the roots and syringing the 

 foliage must then gradually cease, and 

 more air should be given in fine weather 

 so as to hasten the ripening of the fruits, 

 and prevent them cracking. 



It is a good plan to fertilise more 

 flowers than the number of fruits actually 

 needed, so that after ' setting ' the most 

 likely ones can be retained to develop. 

 About 6 fruits to a plant is quite sufficient, 

 and the number should be decreased 

 rather than increased to secure the finest 

 examples. The fruit - bearing shoots 



should have the tops pinched out to one 

 joint beyond the fruit in the same way as 

 for Cucumbers, so that the extra nourish- 

 ment will be absorbed by the fruit. 



As the fruits begin to sweU care 

 should be taken to prevent their contact 

 with the sou by means of a piece of board 

 3-4 in. square being placed beneath each 

 one, with a hole in the centre to allow 

 moisture to pass away. If the stems are 

 trained over a wfre trellis, as is often done 

 when the plants are grown in deep 

 frames or 'pits,' the fruits should be 

 supported by matting or netting as they 

 increase in weight. 



Vaeibtibs of Melons. — Of these 

 there are a large number, those gener- 

 ally grown being divided into scarlet-, 

 green-, and white-fleshed varieties accord- 

 ing to the colour of the flesh. The kind, 

 however, most suitable for growing in 

 frames is a white-fleshed one called Hero 

 of Lochinge, which bears freely, has a deep 

 golden colour when ripe, and an excellent 

 flavour. Sutton's .4. 1 is another good 

 Melon. 



CROSNES (Stachys tubbrifbea). — 

 This is a Chinese and Japanese plant 

 which was introduced to cultivation about 

 1885, and was recommended as a vege- 

 table on account of its white conical and 

 necklace-like tubers. It grows 1-2 ft. 

 high and has ovate acute deeply veined 

 leaves which are more or less hafry and 

 rough in texture. The flowers are said 

 to be rosy and borne in a leafy spike, 

 like many other plants in the Labiate 

 Order (p. 742) to which it belongs. The 

 tubers are borne on creeping underground 

 stems very much in the same way as 

 Potatoes, but they are quite unlike the 

 latter in appearance. An entire tuber is 

 about the length of the little finger and 

 is composed of 4-6 or more roundish 

 or oblong divisions united to each other, 

 those in the middle being usually larger 

 than those at the ends. Each portion 

 bears a bud or ' eye ' and may be used for 

 increasing the plant. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 plant grows freely in ordinary good 

 garden soil and in course of time may be 

 more extensively cultivated in the British 

 Islands than it is at present. It is grovm 

 more largely in France, where the tubers 

 are known under the name of ' Crosnes ' 

 du Japon. Each plant bears a very large 

 crop of the white constricted tubers, 



