I 



194 OF RAISING MELONS. SECT. XIV, 



They may be wiped with a woollen cloth, or turned 

 to dry in fine weather. Confider what was fa id about 

 cucu?nbers, concerning too much heat, top little, &c. 

 After the melons have been up two or three days, ''as 

 was faid before; let them be potted and plunged to the 

 rims, towards the middle of the bed; and the next day^ 

 a little water (warmed in the bed) may be given the 

 reefs ; or a little may be given at the fame time, if the 

 mould is quite dry. 



As foon as the plants are petted, think of making a 

 fecond bed, to be ready in a week, ten cay?, or a Fort- 

 night, (as circumftances dictate) that fo the young plants 

 may receive no check through a decline of heat in the 

 bed where they are. This bed fhould be ftronger than 

 the feed-bed, and rather for a two -light frame; and 

 being moulded as foon as it can be, not to burn, fet 

 the pots in, about an inch deep, and in a day or two 

 draw a little mould up round them, and fo on again. 

 But if the fipft bed is warm enough to hold the plants 

 longer, the heat of this fecond bed (ff violent; may be 

 iuffered to evaporate a little more firlt. Here thevare 

 to grow till in the fecond rough leaf, when the plants 

 fhould be flopped, as was directed for cucumbers. 



The third, or fruiting bed, is to be (obferve) ready 

 by a few days after the time of this flopping the plants* 

 It mould be zjlrong bed, of four feet thick, and for a 

 three-light frame, and made the higher, the more 

 itrawv the dung is. As foon as the burning heat is 

 fuffieiently abated, let the bed be covered all over with 

 good dry melon mould (the bell is a rich moderately 

 ■ itrong loam ) three or four inches, and heaps made under 

 each light of about fourteen inches depth. Melons do 

 not fruit well in alight mould, but yet it fcould not be 

 a heavy one. If the mould is thought coo light; let it 

 be preiled a little together to give it confiften : e. 



To a frefli maiden /oil, or good earth from the kitchen 

 garden, that is known to be in heart, (by the ftrength 

 of the plants it has produced) add about one fourth, or 



one 



