M E 



M E 



MELOPEPO, The Squafh. 

 The Char afters are; 



// bath the whole Appearance of a 

 Tampion or Gourd ; from which this 

 differs in its Fruit ; which is roundifo, 

 fiejhy, freaked, angular, and, for the 

 mofl part, divided into five Partitions, 

 inclofing fiat Seeds adhering ts a 

 fpo'ngy Placenta. 



The Species are ; 



1. Melotepo compreffus. C. B. P. 

 The common or flat Squafh. 



2. Melopepo fruftu maxima al- 

 bo. Tourn. The large white Squatty, 

 commonly call'd The white fiat 

 Pompion. 



3. Melopepo fruflu citriformi. 

 Toum. The citron-maped Squafh. 



4. Melopepo verrucofus. Tourn. 

 The warted Squafh. 



•5. Melopepo verruco/us, fru8u 

 & femine albis. Tourn. Warted 

 Squafh, with white Fruit and Seed. 



6. Melopepo fiavefcens, folio 

 ttfpero. Tourn. Yellowifh Squafh, 

 with a rough Leaf. 



There are feveral other Varieties 

 of this Plant in the PVefi-Iudies, 

 %vhere they greatly abound, moil of 

 which are feminal Variations, and 

 feldom continue long to produce the 

 fame Kinds from Seeds ; at leaft 

 with us they never continue three 

 Years together the fame, but vary 

 molt extraordinarily : for the Seeds 

 fav'd from fuch Plants which grew 

 upright, and did not produce Run- 

 ners (as the more ordinary Sorts) 

 the fucceeding Year, were as luxu- 

 riant as any of the other Kinds ; 

 and the 1 Fruit was of a diirerent 

 Shape from thofe which the Seeds 

 were taken from. 



Thefe are all propagated by fow- 

 ing their Seeds in April upon a 

 moderate Hot-bed ; and when the 

 Plants come up, they mould have a 

 great Share of Air, ochervvife they 

 draw up fo weak ? as to be good 



for little: you muft alfo gently re- 

 frefh them with Water, as you mail 

 find they require it. In May they 

 muft be tranfplanted out where they 

 are defigned to remain (which in 

 England is moft commonly upon old 

 Dunghils, over which the Vines will 

 fpread, and produce a great Quan- 

 tity of Fruit). If you plant them in an 

 open Spot of Ground, you mould 

 dig Holes at the Diftance of 1 4 Feet 

 fquare; into each of which you 

 mould lay 2 or 3 Wheelbarrows of 

 hot Dung, making an Hollow in 

 the Middle to receive the Plants, 

 which muft be fillM with good rich 

 Earth ; then cover the Dung all 

 over, Top and Sides, with the 

 Earth that came out of the Hole, 

 placing a Glafs over the Middle ; in 

 which manner it mould remain un- 

 til the Earth in the Holes begins to 

 warm (which is commonly in twen- 

 ty-four Hours after making) ; what 

 you muft take the Plants up out of the 

 Seed-bed, and ( plant two of them 

 into each Hole ; obferving to water 

 and fhadetuem until they have taken 

 Root : after which you muft let them 

 have a free Air ; and when they be- 

 gin to fend forth their Shoots, if 

 both Plants have taken, one of 

 them muft be pulled out; and yoa 

 muft take off the Glaffes, and per- 

 mit them to run; obferving oniy to 

 clear them from Weeds, and in very- 

 dry Weather to refrefh them now- 

 and-then with a little Water. 



In July thefe Plants will produce 

 a great Quantity of Fruit, which 

 fome People are very fond of: thefe 

 they gather while young, and boil 

 them with Meat inftead of Turneps : 

 but notwithstanding what fome Per- 

 fons have advanced concerning the 

 Goodnefs of this Fruit, yet, from 

 feveral Trials which I have made, I 

 could not bring my Palate' to rtliiii 

 them i for they have a very great 

 Flatulency 



