THE MELON. 



317 



result. Light loams may be improved by add- 

 ing a fourth part of fine marl or clay. Good 

 rich turfy loam is the best of all soils for 

 Melons. If the soil be adhesive or close some 

 old mortar rubble will be beneficial. In fact 

 any soil that is likely to generate canker should 

 have such an addition made to it. 



Pigeons' dung has been employed in Eastern 

 countries for the growth of Melons from time 



immemorial, and it may be advantageously 

 given in moderate quantity. The best mode 

 of using it is to mix with loam, in the propor- 

 tion of ten parts of the latter to one of pigeons' 

 dung. Where the roots have no source of food 

 except that contained in the soil, this should 

 have a depth of from 12 to 18 inches. 



The means of supplying the necessary 

 amount of artificial heat require next to be 



Flower £ 

 Fig. 1098.— Flowers of the Melon (Cucumis Melo). 



Section of Flower § 



taken into consideration. Formerly the heat, 

 both top and bottom, was obtained by means 

 of fermenting materials. Now, however, it is 

 usual to grow Melons in houses or pits built 

 specially for them, and treated with hot-water 

 pipes. But even a moderate amount of fer- 

 menting material is most beneficial in accel- 

 erating the crop. In fact for first early forcing 

 it is most helpful in keeping down the attacks 

 of Red spider. 



Sowing. — Melons, like Cucumbers, can be 

 grown to a tolerable size without much sun- 

 heat, but the fruit will not ripen except under 

 the influence of bright sunshine. In the ab- 

 sence of this no amount of artificial heat will 

 effect the conversion of the crude juices of the 

 fruit into saccharine matter. May is the earliest 

 period that well -flavoured Melons can be ex- 

 pected, although some have been produced in 



April. Such very early fruit, however, can be 

 obtained at least expense from plants in boxes 

 or pots. For this purpose the seeds should be 

 sown early in January in light friable loam 

 and leaf -soil, using 3 -inch pots, and placing 

 in each pot one good seed half an inch deep; 

 plunge the pots in a bed at about 75°. As 

 a protection against mice the pots should be 

 covered with panes of glass, and when the plants 

 come up they should be placed near the roof- 

 glass. At this early sea-son every care and at- 

 tention is needful to get the plants ready for 

 planting out as soon as possible. They should 

 be staked early, kept free from insects, watered 

 judiciously, and repotted into 4- or 5-inch pots 

 when they are fit. From these they may be 

 transferred to the large pots or boxes in which 

 they are to be fruited. AVarm soil is necessary 

 for potting, and tepid water for watering. The 



