432 Report on the progress of the Horticultural Society, 



The following case sufficiently illustrates this statement : — 

 For three years attempts were made to grow the Melon 

 in beds of earth placed over water, in a stove exposed to the 

 brightest light of the sun, in imitation of the practice in the floating 

 islands of Cashmere, where this fruit attains so great a degree of 

 excellence. After repeated trials, however, it was found, that 

 although the plants under such treatment grew with great luxuriance, 

 and fruited in as much abundance as usual, yet that the melons 

 wanted flavour, that the plants became unhealthy, that no means 

 could be found to prevent the leaves flagging daily, and that 

 several other symptoms presented themselves, of which there was 

 no apparent explanation. Although the experiments were con- 

 ducted in a stove occupied by other plants, yet it was not under 

 circumstances materially unfavourable. Certainly the results were 

 not deemed by any means conclusive ; but when it became a 

 question whether the experiments should be repeated, no sufficient 

 means could be found for varying the conditions without incur- 

 ring considerable expense, and the causes of failure were so obscure 

 that no probability existed of their being discovered, without de- 

 voting such an amount of time as the other duties of the officer, 

 who had charge of them, rendered it impossible for him to afford ; 

 they were therefore prosecuted no further. 



Amongst those experimental researches, also, which the Society 

 possesses the means of carrying on usefully, a large proportion of 

 the results will be either negative, or of so little apparent moment 

 as to be undeserving of public record, and yet each in itself may 

 have some valuable practical bearing, and may contribute to the 

 improvement of the skill in gardening of the persons by whom 

 such experiments have been conducted ; and all of them will be 

 found to have required much more time and attention on the part 

 of the Vice Secretary, as well as of the respective under gardeners, 

 than the mere announcement of the results can give an idea of. 



