The Tragical Kitchen Gardiner. 



none at all, for a week or ten days, 

 except it be of the frefh mold I have 

 heretofore recommended. 



And as to this (fays he) you muft de- 

 termine and regulate your refrefhments 

 with great circumfpedioU;, and judge by 

 the nourifhment which you conceive 

 neceifary to produce and maintain the 

 foot, with its branches and leaves grow- 

 ing from it, without which no kind 

 nor genuine fruit is to be expeded. 



When you gather a ripe melon, you 

 will have notice by its turning a little 

 yellow 5 for from that time (as the wea- 

 ther proves) it does ordinarily ripen, 

 and begin to cafl: a grateful fcent, the 

 yellownefs appearing in fome part of it 

 or other, and not feldom with fome 

 rift or little chafings about the ftalk, &c. 

 arc mofl: infallible indications of its be- 

 ing rather too long, than too haftily ga- 

 thered : The gardiner therefore muft not 

 fail to vifit the melonry, at leaft three 

 times a day, morning, noon, and even- 

 ing, for this critical time of ripening. 

 He will fometimes find melons ripen 

 too faft, but they (as all very early me- 

 lons) are very feldom good, as pro- 

 ceeding rather from a fickly or vicious 

 2, root^ 



