THE FORCING GARDEN. 



711 



luany oilier diseases will follow, which may not be easily ex- 

 tirpated; no family of plants being so impatient of checks of 

 this kind as those of the melon and cucumber tribe. 



Their general management on ridges varies not from that 

 of the same plants in hot-bed, with this difference only, they 

 will require to be more sparingly supplied with water, parti- 

 cularly until they be fully established and the season suffi- 

 ciently mild ; after which they will require, in dry weather, 

 more copious supplies of that element than such as are in 

 close boxes, being more exposed to the drying effects of wind 

 and sunshine, and growing in an airy open atmosphere, they 

 will be able to digest a greater portion of that necessary 

 element. 



If the plants have not been previously stopped or topped, it 

 must not be omitted at their planting out. This operation 

 should be performed when the plants have two or three leaves, 

 in the manner already directed. Each plant thus stopped will 

 send out two, three, four, or more runners ; and these runners, 

 if no fruit appear upon them, (but this is not often the case,) 

 should be stopped in the same manner when they have ex- 

 tended to three joints. This stopping of the shoots should be 

 constantly performed until fruit appear ; afterwards they may be 

 allowed to extend to a considerable length, and if not checked 

 by bad management, will continue to send out lateral shoots 

 naturally, which shoots will produce an abundance of fruit. 



When the plants ^lave been planted out two or three days, 

 air should be admitted gradually ; beginning by merely placing 

 a piece of chip or slate under the edge of the glass, and after- 

 wards increased to the full thickness of a brick upon its edge. 

 When the vines or shoots extend themselves beyond the boun- 

 daries of the glass, they should be permitted further to extend 

 themselves freely, by placing a brick under each corner of the 

 glass, so that the shoots may have free egress under them ; 

 but the glasses should not be entirely removed from over the 

 roots until the end of June or J uly. 



The general management of melons differs little from that 

 of the cucumber, with this distinction only, that, to have them 

 in perfection, they require a higher temperature throughout 

 their whole growth, for the strictest attention should be paid 



