190 



Account of the Culture of Early Melons. 



a slight covering of it evenly over the surface of the ashes, 

 and then place one good barrowful in a heap under the cen- 

 tre of each light ; when the heaps become warm, I form the 

 hills in the middle of each, bringing their tops to within seven 

 or eight inches of the glass, the mould of the hills being mo- 

 derately pressed together with the hand, so that the roots of 

 the plants may work freely through it. 



Whenever the roots of the plants appear through the hills I 

 add a covering about an inch thick of the compost, and this 

 application of fresh compost becomes necessary soon after 

 the Melons are ridged out, and continues so from time to 

 time, until the beginning of March, when the surface of the 

 pit, up to the inner edge of the flue, will be almost covered 

 with the additional mould. The flues also will be ultimately 

 covered in part with mould, but it should not be filled up 

 fully against the frame, but ought to slope downwards, towards 

 the bottom of it, on every side. 



The due management of forcing the early Melons con- 

 sists in the attention which is paid to the regulation of the 

 heat, the admission of air, and the covering of the frames. 



Each three-light frame is covered at night in the following 

 manner : a good clean large mat is laid lengthways over the 

 lights, which covers the glass, and keeps the whole clean ; 

 then follows a regular layer of hay, thick in proportion to 

 the heat in the linings, and the temperature of the night, 

 and over the hay, for each light, is placed a single mat, (three 

 mats to each frame,) which is properly and securely fastened 

 by nails, taking care that no part of it hangs over the sides 

 or ends of the frame. 



The coverings are usually fastened down about sun-set, 



