72Cy 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



[May 



The melons which were sown in January and February, 

 will now be in perfection, or nearly approaching to it. As 

 these fruits approach maturity, let a smaller quantity of water 

 be given, and air freely admitted ; for, without these points 

 be attended to, the flavor of the fruit will be indifferent. They 

 will now require no more water, but merely sufficient to keep 

 the plants in life, until they ripen off their fruit. The vines 

 may now be thinned out considerably, but not until the whole 

 of the fruit be just on the eve of ripening ; for if done sooner, 

 it would give too sudden a check to the plants, and cause 

 many, probably the whole of the fruit, to ripen prematurely, 

 and become shrivelled and insipid. This thinning of the vines 

 is only intended to admit of a free circulation of air, and 

 to allow the sun to penetrate to the fruit without being shaded 

 by the foliage. 



A watchful eye should now be kept upon the fruit, so that 

 it may not be permitted to remain upon the plant longer than 

 it is ripe, for if this be allowed, the fruit will lose much of 

 its flavor. It is only by observation that the gardener can 

 become acquainted with the proper time to gather the fruits 

 of his labour, and this observation is strikingly applicable to me- 

 lons : no specific time can be fixed on, with any certainty, when 

 to cut this fruit, ripening, as it does sometimes, in the interval 

 of a few hours. Those which, to all appearance in the 

 morning, would have required a day or two to ripen, may, 

 towards the afternoon of the same day, be in a fit state to 

 send to the table. Some sorts change color previously to be- 

 coming ripe, whilst others retain their original color after they 

 are ripe. A disposition is generally to be observed of their 

 breaking away from the foot-stalk of the fruit previously to 

 their being ripe : this point should be attended to ; and as 

 eoon as that part which joins the foot-stalk and the fruit be- 

 comes cracked all round, the fruit may be cut with safety. 

 Some sorts indicate by their perfume that they are ripe, 

 whilst others, and indeed some of the finest, have little or no 

 smell until they be cut open. They should be sent to table 

 as soon after they , are cut as possible, as they lose much of 

 their flavor by keeping. This is, however, not always prac- 



