318 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GAKDENING. 



iieated by pipes or flues, this difficulty does not ocour. 

 Here, therefore, such sprinklings are absolutely 

 needful to insure atmospheric moisture, counteract 

 the dry heat prevailing, and act as a deterrent of 

 insect pests. Immediately such sprinklings are 

 made, close all air apertures. During the months of 

 January and February this should be done at one , 

 o'clock, making it later by degrees as the sun rises 

 and gains power. When shut up close as advised, it 

 is intended that the sun-heat shall cause the internal 

 -warmth to rise, at which times, aU spaces for the ad- 

 mission of ^air being tightly closed, the thermometer 

 may run up to 95°, or about Midsummer, when the 

 plants are matured and hardy, to 100° Fahrenheit. 



As growth advances, plants attain to robustness, 

 and frame or trellis-work becomes tolerably well filled 

 with healthy foliage, root- waterings should be given 

 about twice a week. These must be so thorough as 

 to reach aU roots requiring them, finishing off with an 

 over-head sousing. At such times it is desirable to 

 " shut up " half an hour earlier, as the process of root- 

 watering cools the soil, and the very fact of opening 

 the sashes in the case of pits or frames also cools 

 the air. When crops are set and swelling, weak 

 manure-water should be given at these periodical 

 waterings alternately. Eoot-waterings must cease 

 from the time fruits are netted. Occasional overhead 

 sprinklings will be necessary, however, to maintain 

 the foliage fresh and active, and, above aU, to deter 

 the formation of insect pests, which, in the form of 

 minute red spiders, these plants are extremely liable to. 



Training and Pruning. — Training or pruning 

 (thinning) the plants is an all-important part of cul- 

 ture, and accordingly as this is done with skill, so will 

 ultimate success or the reverse follow. When the 

 plants make real, rapid progress, and the vines become 

 a foot or two long, they habitually form a few strong 

 leaves somewhat thickly together. These should be 

 slightly thinned, so that one leaf does not shade 

 another, and the leaves which shade the base of the 

 plants should be removed altogether. Whenever 

 leaves are removed it is desirable to cut them off 

 quite close to their base, and the vines whence they 

 emanate, with a sharp-edged knife. Some beginners, 

 acting with much caution, simply twist off the upper 

 leafy part, leaving the stalks standing — a practice 

 not to be commended. 



The process of pinching out the points of the shoots 

 upon the verj' young plants should cause each plant 

 to produce about four duplicate shoots in lieu of 

 the one stopped. Where less have formed, or two 

 plants have not been placed upon each mound to 

 make up for the deficiency, it will be necessary to 

 again " stop " the plant to secure sufficient shoots 

 to furnish pits or frames. With at least four main 



shoots secured to each plant, the simple process 

 of training is to 'induce such four main shoots 

 to grow away direct from the plant, at equal 

 distances apart, towards the four furthermost corners 

 of the space each plant, or two plants together, have 

 to cover ; aU secondary shoots are to fill out spaces 

 between these main ones. When these main shoqts 

 are so far advanced as to show that, when stopped or 

 their points are pinched back, they cannot quite reach 

 each its comer, this must be done. This stopping 

 win cause each main shoot to form and push forth 

 laterals. Train these on each side of each vine into 

 all vacant spaces. It wiU be observed that each 

 lateral will possess a female, or fruit-producing 

 flower, at the axil of the first or second leaf. So soon 

 as these are observed, stop these laterals also imme- 

 diately beyond the next leaf formed beyond such as 

 has the embryo fruit. As this process of stopping 

 the laterals wUl, for the time being, check shoot- 

 formation and progress, the strength of the roots 

 win be thrown into the leaves, and these will grow 

 into finely-developed size ; so much so that the crop 

 of leaves wiU. quickly become too thick, and require 

 thinning or reducing in numbers, which should be 

 done somewhat by anticipation. Remove a few of 

 the older leaves from the main vines only, but never 

 remove one such from the vine or that joint of any 

 whence young or lateral shoots proceed. All care 

 must from this time be devoted to maintaining such 

 leaves as then remain in fresh and full health. The 

 leaves may not inappropriately be called the fruit in 

 embryo, for without such in perfect form, health, and 

 vigour, it is impossible to secure finely-developed 

 and flavoured Melons. 



As regards the training of such as are grown to 

 trellis- work under span-roofed and other structures, 

 the desirable practice is to grow one stem only at first. 

 This is secured by cutting away clean from their 

 base, in the same manner as advised for leaf -pruning, 

 all the youngest or weakest shoots, and growing on 

 the plants with one stem each onlj'. Such plants 

 are then trained up until they reach the roof of the 

 structure. They are there stopped if a, short span 

 exists, and a limited number of plants onlj-. With 

 numerous plants the main stem is carried on up to the 

 limit of the roof, and is there stopped ; the laterals 

 from which produce the fruit. Subsequent attention 

 is much the same as that already described. 



In a short time, following this last process of 

 stopping the laterals, especially if such attentions in 

 the matter of heat, water, and air have been accorded 

 them as previously suggested, the female blossoms 

 will expand. It is customary to fertilise each female 

 blossom when fully expanded. The practice is a de- 

 sirable one, especially when early crops are gi-own. 

 The process is simple. Choose a male blossom fully . 



