The TraBical Kitchen Gardiner. 



and that is, when the fruit is about fet- 

 ting, and as large as a fmall gcrkin or 

 pickle cucumber 5 for it often happens, 

 that for want of this the fap pafles on 

 by the fruit that is newly fet, and runs 

 towards the end or extremity of the 

 vine, conducing to the lengthning it, and 

 ftarves the fruit that is near the root 5 

 at the fame time forming new fruit, 1 

 whilft the old grows yellow, and falls 

 off. And this indeed, both on account 

 of pruning, and other care, is the moft 

 critical time of all, efpecially if the wea- 

 ther be cold, and the ridge failing in 

 its heat. As to the. pruning part, I 

 would not fhorten or prune the vines juft 

 above the fruit, becaufc that would, if 

 I may ufe fo vulgar a term, give fuch a 

 rebuff, or rather check to nature, that 

 the fruit would rather fufFcr, than be 

 help'd and improved by it. I would 

 therefore rather advife the pruning two 

 or three joints above the fruit. Indeed 

 by this means you will not have many 

 melons to a vine, but they will be much 

 better fed 5 two or three to a plant, that 

 is, fix, eight or nine melons to a hole, 

 is fufficient 5 but if ten or twelve be 

 allow'd, it muft be faid to be a very 

 G 2 good 



