THE MELON. 



317 



buds maturing into shoots will form. At this stage 

 the plants may he transposed to their permanent beds, 

 in which they are to grow and mature their crops. 



Cultivation. — Whether Melon - house, pit, or 

 frame be employed, it will be necessary to form a 

 conical mound of soil for each, as high or near to 

 the glass as it is intended it should grow. Such 

 a mound may be curtailed as much as possible as re- 

 gards circumference of its base, providing it be main- 

 tained at proper height. In such a position the 

 young plant will make a rapid growth, pushing forth 

 roots freely through the sides. When this is ob- 

 served a quantity of soil, consisting of double the 

 amount of the first mound, must be placed around it, 

 up near to the collar of the plant, but not in such 

 manner as to be in contact with it. Make the 

 whole as firm as possible, without in an ' way in- 

 juring the roots. The advancing roots will quickly 

 show through the mound again, especially midway 

 from its apex. Then will it be necessary to give the 

 final moulding up, when sufficient soil should be 

 placed around, in whatever position the roots grow, 

 to make its surface level, always keeping the base 

 of each plant in contact with the soil an inch or two 

 above such mean level. 



Some, however, prefer to place all the necessary 

 soil into mound-shape at first, so as to secure the 

 proper height for the plants, adding also soil to 

 make the whole bed level as described. Moulding 

 by degrees is resorted to where limited heat only is 

 at command, and which must not be checked by 

 excess of weight, nor, as in the case of fermenting 

 materials, be unduly covered to shut down the rising 

 heat, until summer is so far advanced as to afford 

 enlarged supplies of solar heat. 



The earlier the date at which operations are com- 

 menced, so much the more artificial heat and other 

 needful attentions will be required. Nor, excepting 

 where constant supplies of all fruit possible in season 

 are required, is the gain equal to the outlay in com- 

 mencing too early in the year. On this considera- 

 tion February will be a far more advantageous month 

 than the previous one to commence operations. 



From the moment the young plants are finally 

 planted out, constant attention will be needed in 

 view of maintaining atmospheric warmth of from 

 80° to 85°, and root-warmth as near to 75° as pos- 

 sible. Atmospheric moisture, conjointly with a 

 liberal supply of fresh air, so admitted as to cause 

 no cold draughts to travel over the plants, must be 

 studiously accorded also. 



To secure this a uniform rule of duties must be 

 outlined and attended to. A solitary neglect of such 

 will oftentimes destroy at once all hope of ulti- 

 mate success. Such rules, simply described, are as 



follows: — In the early morning all kinds of pro- 

 tective coverings, if they exist, must be taken 

 off and packed aside neatly. The slight amount 

 of fresh air given in the evening preceding must 

 be removed, so that the temperature, which is 

 permitted to fall five or eight degrees during 

 the night-time, rises again with the growing or in- 

 creasing light of day to its normal level. Imme- 

 diately this is reached, during dull weather give a 

 little air again near the apices of the sashes, and on 

 full sunshine mornings give this air as soon as the 

 thermometer rises to 80°. Again about an hour 

 afterwards increase the air, and again increase or de- 

 crease it according to the action of sun or wind and 

 its influence upon the internal atmosphere or ther- 

 mometer. A temperature of 90°, or even more, will 

 do no harm with a free circulation of air. 



Shading is not desirable in any form. Occasion- 

 ally, however, following a dull or sunless period, 

 abrupt and full sunshine, especially if accompanied 

 by a searching easterly wind, will cause the leaves 

 of young plants to flag or droop. This should be 

 prevented by a slight shading for an hour on each 

 side of noon. 



Between the hours of one and three o'clock, 

 according to the date of the spring or summer, tepid 

 water should be given in moderate quantity. This 

 is generally done by placing full water-pots in 

 the sun in the early part of the day, so as to be 

 handy for the purpose of sprinkling or watering in 

 the afternoon. Where this cannot be done, add a 

 certain amount of hot water to the bulk of cold. 



At the hours named, and during bright weather, 

 the internal parts of the glass structure or frame 

 should be sprinkled over, and also the foliage of the 

 plants, taking great care always, as previously sug- 

 gested, not to moisten the base of the plant at the 

 ground-line. At the early part of the season this 

 operation must be done studiously, during dull 

 days not at all, and with increasing freedom accord- 

 ingly as sunshine exists or not. The desire should 

 be to accord atmospheric moisture in connection with 

 light and heat ; in other words, tropical weather 

 in the rainy season. One very important fact con- 

 nected with such atmospheric moisture must not be 

 overlooked, however, in the early spring, when a pro- 

 longed sunless period exists. It is that the young 

 plants, which are swathed in condensed moisture 

 arising from internal steam, must, if possible, be 

 dried once during each day. This is often so diffi- 

 cult of attainment in pits or frames heated by fer- 

 menting materials alone, that many growers place 

 jars or bottles filled with hot water around the plants 

 to aid the process. Such an explanation will show 

 when it is proper to give artificial overhead sprink- 

 lings and when to withhold them. In glass structures 



