316 



THE GARDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



White Orange. — Very distinct, with striped fruit and 

 white pulp; flavour very good. 



Lemons. 



Bijou. — Pronounced to be a Lime by some authorities. 

 Fruit small, with a delicious aroma ; growth of the tree 

 very dwarf and fruitful; a remarkable sort. 



Imperial. — Fruit very large, with a fine aroma ; habit 

 of the tree robust and vigorous. 



Lemon, common, of commerce (fig. 1095). 



Sweet. — A Lemon without acidity. 



Sweet Brazilian. — Like the preceding. 



White. — One of the largest and best. 



Limes. 



Bitter. — Remarkable for the great fertility and dwarf 

 habit of the tree ; resembles the Bijou Lemon so closely 

 as to be distinguished with difficulty except by the colour 

 of its fruit. 



Citron. — A very good variety. 



Common (fig. 1096). — An abundant bearer; fruit excel- 

 lent for cooling drinks. 



Persian. — Like the preceding, but larger. 



Sweet. — A pleasant fruit without acidity. 



Pomalos. 



Forbidden Fruit. — Fruit very large and globular, flesh 

 coarse-grained, sweet. 



Grape Fruit. — Fruit Pear-shaped, medium in size, with 

 a smooth skin; fleshy, juicy, pleasantly acid. 



Shaddock (fig. 1097). — Fruit very large. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



THE MELON. 



Origin — Soil — Sowing — Beds — Planting — Training 

 and Stopping — Setting the Flowers — Melon- 

 house — Varieties. 



The Melon (Cucumis Meld) is, like the 

 Cucumber, largely cultivated in all warm and 

 warm-temperate countries, and it also resembles 

 that plant in being of obscure origin. It is said 

 to have been carried from Armenia to Rome 

 by Lucullus. According to M. Jacquin, the 

 Cantaloup varieties were originally brought 

 from the same region by some missionaries 

 to Cantaluppi, a villa belonging to the Pope, 

 and situated a few miles from Rome. After- 

 wards they were introduced into France in 

 1495; from thence they passed into Spain, and 

 from that country into England. 



In Persia Melons are exceedingly plentiful, 

 and their cultivation in the open air in the 

 plains of Ispahan and at Bokhara is considered 

 to be unsurpassed. At Cabul Melons are 

 grown in great abundance. The country, al- 

 though in latitude 34° N., is covered with 

 snow to a great depth in winter, but in 

 summer the valleys become very hot, and in 



these the fruit acquires a high degree of per- 

 fection. Travellers in Cabul have sent home 

 seeds of the different varieties of Melons, 

 which when grown in this country have 

 proved exceedingly prolific, some being very 

 melting and sugary; they are all, however, apt 

 to degenerate. The climate of the middle and 

 southern states of America is remarkably 

 favourable to Melons; consequently they are 

 raised as field crops by market-gardeners, who 

 sow the seeds in the open air early in May, 

 and obtain ripe fruit in August. At Wash- 

 ington the mean temperature towards the end 

 of May is about 70°, that of June 75°, of 

 July 78 h°, and August 76-|-°. This tempera- 

 ture nearly corresponds with that which pre- 

 vails over a great portion of the American 

 states, and it is sufficient for the hardier sorts 

 of Melons; but where these succeed in America, 

 it is found that the Persian and some other 

 sorts require a higher temperature, with the 

 protection of glass, till July, and occasionally 

 afterwards during cold nights and stormy 

 weather. Hence it appears that certain var- 

 ieties of Melons require a higher temperature 

 than others. 



The Rock and Cantaloup varieties may be 

 successfully cultivated in a house or pit with 

 a bottom-heat of 70°, rising gradually to 80°. 

 With sun -heat the atmospheric temperature 

 may be allowed to rise to 85° when the plants 

 are young, afterwards to between that and 

 90°, or even higher if the plants are well con- 

 ditioned, and plenty of air be judiciously 

 admitted. Although this is not higher than is 

 frequently borne from sun-heat by vegetation 

 out-of-doors in summer, yet under artificial 

 treatment, and after a period of dull, cloudy, 

 wet weather, such as frequently occurs in our 

 climate, the leaves of the Melon are not adapted 

 for bearing the full force of the sun's rays. It 

 must, accordingly, be modified in the first 

 instance by shading, which should be gradu- 

 ally diminished as the plants become more 

 accustomed to the light. The powerful effects 

 of sunshine, and often the density of the air in 

 the house, are too extreme, making the leaves 

 tender, a condition that can be avoided by 

 giving more air, especially when the conditions 

 are favourable. 



Soil. — This should be obtained from an old 

 pasture where cattle have grazed, taking the 

 top spit about 3 or 4 inches deep. It should 

 be cut and stacked a few months before it is 

 required for use. No manure should be added, 

 or a too luxuriant growth will most probably 



