470 Observations connected with the Culture of Melons, 



its covering of cement, and entered the cistern about an inch below 

 the usual surface of the water. 



About the period when the Melon became ripe, I had occasion to 

 alter the arrangements of my stove. But just before that period, I 

 took off one of the bundles of water-roots, enclosed them in a phial 

 of water and forwarded them with a paper containing a recital of the 

 facts detailed above. The subsequent remarks are in addition to 

 those already communicated ; and they not only bear, I conceive, 

 upon the experiment, but tend to throw additional light upon the 

 habits and temperament of not the Melon solely, but also upon 

 those of another species of the genus cucumis. 



Having ascertained, beyond a doubt, that the Melon plant would 

 continue in health and bring its fruit to maturity, although a consi- 

 derable part of its roots was, night and day, immersed in water, I 

 resolved to try what might be the consequence of beginning the 

 culture of the plant in water alone, without the aid of any soil whatso- 

 ever. I took off a small cutting at a joint, and also a single full-grown 

 leaf: the cutting was of three joints and about 4 inches long ; the leaf 

 had its stalk entire, but was without the vestige of a bud. I placed 

 both in a phial of clear water, side by side, and plunged that in a 

 leaf-bed, the heat of which averaged 72 to 75 degrees. In three or 

 four days, granulations of pearly, cellular matter protruded from the 

 lower surfaces, but by far more copiously from the leaf: in fact the 

 whole of the immersed leaf -stalk swelled so much that the epidermis 

 burst in several places, in consequence of the great bulk of granular 

 matter formed within it. From the cracks, the same pearly granu- 

 lations were sent forth, and from these, at the end of the stalk, 

 white roots shortly after proceeded. In a few days more, the 

 cutting emitted roots from similar processes ; and these grew to 

 such an extent, that I was obliged to break the phial in order to 

 withdraw the two subjects. While these experiments were pursued, 

 another cutting had emitted roots in pure water ; and this young 



