492 



CULTURE OF THE MELON IN BRITISH GARDENS. 



swelling favourably, say three to six on a plant, the rest, with every leaf and 

 lateral, for which some good reason is not pledged, must unsparingly be dis- 

 carded, leaving always one leaf, or perhaps two, beyond every fruit ; and let 

 every fruit be elevated on an inverted earthen saucer. To grow very early 

 melons dry heat is indispensable, as every leaf, in moist weather, ought to be 

 carefully dried once every day ; and, in hot weather, every leaf ought to be 

 as carefully moistened, by means of vapour or sjrringing. Before the fruit 

 appears, and also when it is ripening off, a well ventilated atmosphere is best ; 

 but, whilst the fruits are swelling, closeness and humidity will be found to 

 answer the purpose best. An occasional dusting of powdered charcoal and 

 lime, mixed with sulphur and Scotch snuff, will go far to prevent the ravages 

 of insect enemies. 



The bed must be soiled over to the same depth as the ridge was origi- 

 nally made, at different times, as the progress of the roots shall dictate ; and 

 the roots must be supplied with soft well aerated water, as the firmness or 

 flaccidity of the leaves must determine. As little shading as possible should 

 be given, as the plants should be inured to the full sun as soon as possible ; 

 the minimum heat may be 70", and the maximum 90°, though 100° would 

 do no harm, even with the lights close, provided the laps and crannies about 

 them were closed, or with the lights not closed, provided the transition were 

 not rapid. — A.F. These directions are equally applicable to melons trained 

 on a trellis, or on the surface of the ground. 



1044. Persian Melons are very subject to burst ; but Mx*. Knight found 

 that by raising the points of the fruit higher than the stems, so as to give it 

 an elevation of 30", not one fruit failed to ripen in a whole and perfect state. 

 — (Hort. Trans, vol. i. 2nd series, p. 90.) 



1045. Culture of the melon in the open air. — In the climate of London a 

 late crop of melons may be raised on beds of dung in the open air, the plants 

 when newly turned out being protected by hand-glasses. The customary 

 mode is to have the beds flat, about four feet wide and two feet and a-half 

 high; and when the heat declines, casings of hot dung are applied, first on one 

 side, and, when that casing has ceased to be effective, on the other. The 

 better mode, however, is to form the bed in the direction of east and west, 

 with the north side supported by boards, so as to be perpendicular, and three 

 feet six inches or four feet high, and the south side sloping at an angle about 

 40" east and west, and open to the south. The situation must be well 

 sheltered from the north. Whichever description of bed is used, the plants 

 may be raised from seeds or cuttings in April or May, and turned out in the 

 first week of June. The plants should not be raised on bottom heat, 

 because the transition to the open air is found to give them such a check as 

 to turn the leaves yellow, and the entire plant sickly. There are two 

 decided advantages in growing the melon in ridges sloping to the south : the 

 first is, that the sun's rays are received at a much larger angle, in conse- 

 quence of which the temperature is raised from 10° to 15° higher than it is 

 in the shade ; and the next is, that a larger, and consequently a more 

 effective, casmg can be applied behind. The only disadvantage is the diffi- 

 culty of maintaining a uniform degree of moisture in the soil, which must, 

 therefore, be frequently watered, and always with water at a temperature 

 of 65° or 70 \ To retain the moisture, as well as to reflect the heat, the 

 sloping face of the bed may be covered with flat tiles or slates, but not over- 

 lapping, because that would conduct off the water. When the plants are 



