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whereas, in mod Places where the 

 Cantaleupe Melons have been raifed 

 in England, the Beds have been no 

 wider than they were firfr. made, 

 and perhaps no more than three 

 Inches Thicknefs of Earth upon 

 them ; fo that the Plants have decay- 

 ed many times without producing a 

 Jingle Fruit : and from thence Peo- 

 ple have imagined, that this Sort of 

 Melon was too tender for this Cli- 

 mate, when their ill Succefs was in- 

 tirely owing to their not understand- 

 ing their Culture. 



There is alfo another Advantage 

 attending this Method of widening 

 the Beds, as above directed ; which 

 is that of adding a frefh Warmth to 

 the Beds, by the hot Dung which is 

 buried on each Side ; which will 

 caufe the Dung in the Bed to re- 

 new its Heat : and as the Plants 

 will by this time (hew their Fruit, 

 this additional Heat will be of great 

 Service in fetting of the Fruit, ef- 

 pecially if the Seafon Ihould prove 

 cold, as it often happens in this 

 Country, in the Month of May. 

 When the Beds are made up in the 

 manner here directed, and the Vines 

 have extended fo far as to fill the 

 Frames, and want more room, the 

 Frames mould be raifed up with 

 Bricks about three Inches high, to 

 admit the Shoois of the Vines to 

 run out from under them ; for if the 

 Plants are ftrong, they will extend 

 fix or feven Feet each Way from 

 their Stems; for which Reafon I 

 caution every one to allow them 

 yoom, and to put but one Plant in 

 each Light ; for when the Vines are 

 crouded, the Fruit feldom will fet 

 well, but will drop off when they 

 are as large as an Egg ; therefore 

 the Frames which are defigned for 

 Melons mould not be made fmall. 



There is no Parr of Gardening, in 

 which the Practitioners of this Art 



differ more, than in the pruning 



and managing of thefe Plants ; nor 

 are there any Rules laid down in the 

 feveral Books in which the Culture 

 of Melons have been treated of, by 

 which any Perfon can be initructed ; 

 for there is fueh Inconfiftency in all 

 their Directions ; and what is worfe, 

 the greateft part of them are abfurd ; 

 fo that whoever follows them, can 

 never hope to fucceed : therefore I 

 mall, in as few Words as poilible, 

 give fuch plain Directions, as I hope 

 will be fufficient to inllruct any Per- 

 fon who is the lealt converfant in. 

 thefe Things. 



I have before advifed the pinch- 

 ing off the Ends of the Plants as 

 foon as they have' a Joint, in or- 

 der to get lateral Shoots, which are 

 by the Gardeners called Runners; 

 and when thefe Shoots have two or 

 three Joints, to pinch off their Tops, 

 to force out more Runners ; becaufe 

 it is from thefe that the Fruit is to 

 be produced ; but after a fufficient 

 Number are put out, they Ihould 

 not be flopped again ; but wait for 

 the Appearance of the Fruit, which 

 will foon come out in plenty ; at 

 which time the Vines fhould be care- 

 fully looked over three times a 

 Week, to obferve the Fruit, and 

 make choice of one upon each Run- 

 ner ; which is fituated neareft the 

 Stem ; having the largeft Footftalk, 

 and that appears to be the ftrongeft 

 Fruit; and then pinch off all the 

 other Fruit which may appear upon 

 the fame Runner ; alfo pinch off the 

 End of the Runner at the third Joint 

 above the Fruit ; and if the Runner 

 is gently pinched at the next Joint 

 above the Fruit, it will flop the 

 Sap, and fet the Fruit. The taking 

 off all the other Fruit will prevent 

 the Nourifhment being drawn away 

 from the Fruit intended to grow ; 

 which, if they were all left on the 



Plant, 



