THE MELON. 



319 



come fertilized without artificial aid, but the 

 process of setting them is generally necessary. 

 This operation, which should be performed 

 when both male and female flowers are fully 

 expanded, consists in taking some of the pollen 



pencil, and applying it to the stigma; or a 

 male blossom may be stripped of its corolla, 

 and inverted in the female one. 



When the young fruit is as large as a cricket 

 ball it should have support. For this purpose 



from the anthers, by means of a camel-hair most growers prefer a mode of their own; the 



Fig. 1100.— Melon House. 



chief object is to avoid an accumulation of 

 water beneath the fruit, where it rests on the 

 supporter. 



Melon-house. — For the earliest crop a lean-to 

 house facing south may be used. For summer 

 culture a span-roofed house is better, with the 

 end to the south. The house ought not to be 

 large, nor yet so small that a person cannot 

 walk through it with comfort. If more than 

 30 feet in length, it ought to be in divisions, 



so that a succession may be obtained; indeed, 

 a house of the above length may with advan- 

 tage be divided into two, and if required 

 another 15 feet may be added, making three 

 divisions, which would give a supply of Melons 

 for at least six months in the year. The 

 width of the house should be about 12 feet, 

 and the height from floor line to the highest 

 point 10 feet, 

 the back 3 feet, a 



This will admit of a stage at 

 2 feet 6 inches, and 



path 



