SECT. XIV. 



OF RAISING MELONS. 



197 



Melons may be watered moderately once a week, in 

 fair weather, or twice it fultry, efpecially it the mould 

 is light.- Early in the feafon, water a little before 

 noon, and in high fummer a little before evening. 

 When the fruit is Jetting, and when getting towards 

 ripening, very little water muft be given: be fure to 

 water the extremities of the roots, but avoid the jhanks, 

 particularly while the plan's are young. A little 

 iprinkling all over the leaves, when the plants get big, 

 (but let not a hot fun {hine upon them at the time) 

 will greatly refreih them, when it is not thought proper 

 to water the roots thoroughly, on account of the bed 

 being cool. Becaufe much wet is certainly injurious, 

 lbme gardeners keep their melons exceeding dry ; but 

 their leaves mould not fhew too much ugn of drought, 

 left the fruit fhrivel for want of moifture. Take care 

 that the heat is kept up at the Jetting of the fruit, or it 

 will become yellow, and tall o!f. Preierve a good 

 bottom heat till about Mid-June. 



Melons Ihould not be turned fo much about, as if the 

 practice of fome gardeners, in order to ripen the fruit 

 all over ; for it hurts the Jootjlalk, diftorting its vellels 

 that feed the melons, and fo preventing a proper di- 

 geftion of the juices, and fome increafe of fi/e. 



The flavour of a melon being preferable to the fize, 

 is the reafon why water is to be withheld (as much as 

 can be] when they are ripening: with it thev will be- 

 come bigger, and fo appear finer; but what is quantity 

 without quality ? 



The young Jruit need not be fully expofed to the 

 fun ; it had better be a little covered with leaves, for 

 much hot fun hardens the {kin, and prevents its proper 

 growth. When a melon has-riearly attained its fize, 

 then, however, a full fun is neceflary to ripen it. 



As to cutting the fruit, if it is to be fome days before 

 a melon is eat, (as when carried to a diitance) it Ihould 

 not be quite ripe. Its ripenejs is known by the high 

 colour, and ftrong odour, and the cracking of the foot- 



K3 ftalk; 



