THE MELON. 223 



a place that can just be crept into, whicli is in every 

 respect inconvenient and undesirable. 



I have recommended a greater depth of soil for 

 melon-houses where the plants are more fully sur- 

 rounded by light and air than in a dung-bed, for the 

 same reason it should be a little richer, and certainly 

 not less retentive. For summer crops I have always 

 put all the soil required in the beds before the melons 

 were planted. In the case of early crops in melon- 

 houses, I recommend a mean between that for which 

 directions have been given for dung-frames — namely, 

 to fill in the soil at three times as the roots extend. 



PKEPAEING THE PLANTS, PLANTING, ETC. 



Little need be added on preparing the plants for the 

 melon -house trellis system of training, as the only 

 difference between it and that recommended for the 

 speedier fruiting in the dung-bed is, that in the melon- 

 house they are trained to wires near the glass, and in 

 the latter along the surface of the soil. As soon as 

 plants in 4- or 5 -inch pots (I use the smaller for 

 spring and the larger for summer plants, having in 

 this case a single plant in a pot) are 8 or 9 inches 

 high, with the soil well occupied but not matted with 

 roots, and the soil is warm in the beds, they are ready 

 for planting. One plant every 2 feet is sufficient, but 

 not too thick for this one-stem system of training. The 

 plant should be put in perpendicular, with the first wire 

 at the front or side of the house, and tied to a stake 

 tiU it reaches the wire. In summer planting I always 

 settle the soil about the balls with water at 85° to 

 90° immediately they are planted. The balls being 



