FORCING DEPARTMENT. 407 



a little fresh soil added progressively to the hills, 

 before the entire bed is moulded over to the depth 

 of a foot or fourteen inches, which will be of suffi- 

 cient thickness for the nourishment of the Melon 

 plant. It is necessary, also, to be careful in water- 

 ing the Melon ; as if much is given close to its 

 stems, it will be subject to canker and rot off 

 before the crop of fruit is ripened ; therefore the 

 water should rather be applied to the extremities of 

 the roots than to the centre. Care should likewise 

 be taken not to injure or break the foliage, and to 

 avoid wetting the incipient fruit and blossoms as much 

 as possible. In short, while the fruit is setting, water 

 should be almost suspended. At an early period of 

 the year the impregnation should be assisted, as will 

 be directed for the Cucumber. The Melon, being a 

 plant rather impatient of much lopping, the Vines 

 should be spread out thinly at the first ar- 

 ranging of the shoots, and the knife but sparingly 

 used until the first crop is ripened off, only thinning 

 out the weaker and unproductive Vines. But as 

 soon as the fruit is gathered, it should have a 

 thorough pruning, cutting away all the weak and 

 unhealthy shoots, and shortening back those that 

 are to remain to the most promising joints, which 

 will push out strongly, and may produce as good or 

 even a better second crop than the first. The heat 

 of the beds will require to be kept up, by the ex- 

 terior linings of dung, until Midsummer, when, 

 if the weather is at all favourable, the effects 

 of the sun will keep the internal atmosphere 

 of the beds sufficiently high, and the linings may 



