THE MELON. 



671 



be provided in pits or dung-bed frames of the 

 ordinary construction, and can only be secured 

 in span - roofed houses, or pits covered with 

 glass to within a foot or two of the ground sur- 

 face. It is also of importance, in the case of 

 Persian melons, that they be grown in the sus- 

 pended manner, so that the light and sunshine 

 may act to their fullest extent on both foliage 

 and fruit. They differ, also, in a remarkable 

 manner from those generally grown in Europe, 

 being destitute of the thick rind which renders 

 one-half of each fruit useless, while they have 

 their skin so thin and delicate that they are 

 subject to injury from causes that would not 

 affect those in ordinary cultivation. Their flesh 

 is also extremely tender, rich, and sweet, abound- 

 ing in high-flavoured juice, exceedingly grateful 

 and refreshing. For the most part they are 

 abundant bearers, as are also the hybrids origi- 

 nated in Britain by crossing one variety with 

 another ; and their beauty when ripe is as 

 pleasing as their flavour is agreeable. Water 

 melons form another section: although believed 

 to be those mentioned in Sacred History, and 

 constituting almost both the food and drink of 

 the Egyptians for several months in the year, 

 they are little regarded in Britain. In Italy, 

 America, and the south of Europe, they are 

 much grown and esteemed; their culture differs 

 little from those in ordinary use, excepting 

 that they require more space for the exten- 

 sion of their branches, and the greatest amount 

 of light that our means will enable us to give 

 them. 



Where the practice is followed of growing 

 the melon on the surface of the soil, care should 

 be taken that a piece of tile or slate be placed 

 under every fruit as soon as it has begun to 

 swell, to prevent its damping off ; and as the 

 fruit increases in size, it should be elevated so 

 high as to be above the leaves, that it may fully 

 enjoy the effects of light and air. Until the full 

 complement of fruit is fairly set, and beginning 

 to swell, the branches should be kept thin, and 

 the plants not over-excited; but after that stage 

 they should be allowed a greater latitude, and a 

 greater amount of excitement. Those grown 

 suspended from trellises, in properly constructed 

 houses, need not be placed above the foliage, but 

 allowed to hang under it, because, in this latter 

 case, abundance of air and light will reach them. 

 The period which elapses between the fecunda- 

 tion of the blossom and the ripening of the fruit 

 varies in different sorts; from five to six weeks 

 may be taken as an average, although some cul- 

 tivators require less time. This also depends 

 on the season of the year at which the process 

 is going on, and also on the state of the plants; 

 for if they be stinted from mismanagement, or 

 from an over-crop, the fruit will ripen prema- 

 turely in less time than stated above, and before 

 it has attained its full size. The ripening of the 

 fruit may be known by the following criteria : 

 by the base of the foot-stalk cracking away from 

 the rind, by the agreeable and powerful per- 

 fume of the fruit, and by its turning of a yel- 

 lowish colour. The first, however, of these is 

 most to be depended on, as it not only indicates 

 ripeness, but also that the fruit has been grown 



to its most perfect state, for such indication is 

 not found in fruit ripened prematurely through 

 mismanagement. The Winter melons do not, 

 however, show this cracking away of the foot- 

 stalk ; they are cut when they begin to give out 

 a slight perfume, and when they have attained 

 their full size. 



Growing the melon in the open air is seldom prac- 

 tised with success in Britain, although some of 

 the hardiest and quickest-growing sorts are some- 

 times ripened in the south of England under the 

 protection of hand-glasses like cucumbers, and 

 under glass coverings in pits or frames, with a 

 slight degree of bottom heat placed under them 

 at planting. The plants are treated as in other 

 cases as to transplanting, &c, and should be 

 grown to a pretty large size before being finally 

 planted out. Sometimes they are planted in 

 small wicker baskets, made on purpose ; and as a 

 considerable number of plants may in this way be 

 kept in a heated two or three light frame until 

 they have begun to form their flowers, the plan is 

 worth the attention of those who have no better 

 accommodation. The plants are set in the place 

 where they are to perfect their fruit, their roots 

 finding a ready means of escape through the 

 bottom and sides of the baskets, and that with- 

 out experiencing any material check in their 

 growth; thus, as it were, gaining three or four 

 weeks in their growth, and enabling us to delay 

 their final planting out until the season has be- 

 come sufficiently advanced to secure them from 

 being injured by late spring-frosts. The practice 

 of many of the London market-gardeners is to 

 prepare the beds on which early potatoes, &c. 

 have been produced, by digging out holes along 

 the centre of the beds, each sufficiently large to 

 hold a wheel-barrowful of well-fermented man- 

 ure; and as soon as the mould over it is mode- 

 rately heated, the plants are set, and closely 

 covered with hand-glasses for a few days. After 

 the branches have extended as far as the limits 

 of such glasses, they are removed, and covered 

 with any spare sashes that may have been in 

 use for forwarding other crops, now either cut 

 or fit to stand the weather without such protec- 

 tion. In the cultivation of melons with dimi- 

 nished heat, little water should be given them, 

 and that always in a tepid state, and only ap- 

 plied towards the extremities of the roots, 

 keeping the crown of the plants rather dry than 

 otherwise. 



SELECT LIST. 



Beechwood, green-fleshed. — Of excellent flavour, 

 and an abundant bearer; 2 to 3 lb. in weight. 



Bromham Ball. — A comparatively new and 

 excellent green-fleshed sort ; 2 to 3 lb. 



Trentham hybrid, green-fleshed. — Equally 

 worthy of cultivation, and one of the easiest 

 culture. 



CuthilVs early cantaleup. — Hardy, and an 

 early bearer; 2 to 3 lb. 



Green-fleshed Masulipatam. — Skin thin, green, 

 early, and of excellent quality; 1 to 2 lb. 



Green-fleshed Egyptian. — Skin thin, white, 

 early, and of excellent quality; from 2 to 

 3 1b. 



