The Tragical Kitchen Gardiner. 



As to the age of it, it is generally fup- 

 pofed that melon feed will laft eight or 

 ten years good , and fome will even 

 ver, that the longer it is kept the bet- 

 ter 5 and this indeed holds good in re- 

 lation to forward melons, where the 

 fubftance of the feed being in a great 

 meafure fpent, the plants don't grow fo 

 much to vine, but are confequently dif- 

 pofed to bear the better 5 which is the 

 jeafon that I would ad vife ^l that fow 

 for the firft crop to ufe feed from four 

 to five or fix years old, but more I wou'd 

 not advife, but rather that which is 

 newer 5 but then on the other hand, if 

 you would have a general crop, feed two 

 or three years old is the beft, and throws 

 out the ftrongeft if not the moft fruit, 

 and is generally fuller, and better fed. 

 And thus much as to the proper age 

 of feed. The next is the manner of 

 faving it; in which I conceive majiy 

 of our beft gardiners are miftaken, who 

 depend only upon thofe melons that are 

 juft fit for cutting for their feed ; fince 

 many of them are immature, and not 

 full ripe 5 and how then fhould the feed 

 be fit to produce good fruit another 

 feafon > 



Mr. 



