166 



THE FLORIST AND POMOIOGIST. 



cook, or for exhibition ; and as a dozen fruit of a small sort may be grown in 

 the same space as a brace of the large sort, I think where a daily supply is 

 wanted, if for no other reason, the small variety is preferable. 



A second cause of failure is too much water at the root, and too frequent 

 syringing of the foliage. I never use the syringe over the plants from the 

 middle of October until the middle of February, and probably the plants are 

 not watered at the root more than once a-fortnight during the same time. Of 

 course, if it is a bright dry October or January the plants may require, a more 

 frequent watering. But any gardener can see when a plant requires water. 



I will say nothing of varieties, for some growers prefer Kenyon's, Kenyon's 

 Improved ; others Sion House, or Sion House Improved ; or some of Cu thill's 

 really excellent varieties ; while many growers have a favourite hybrid or sup- 

 posed hybrid of their own, which, if a good cropper and answers their pui-pose, 

 is no doubt as good as any of the Stars, Victorys, Conquerors, or Champions 

 which come out annually at a large price for a very small packet of seeds ; and 

 will, perhaps, be an old acquaintance with a new name, or probably not so 

 good as sorts you have discarded, the seeds and purchaser being sold at the 

 same time. 



1 prefer growing my plants from cuttings, which I select clean and healthy 

 early in August ; put them singly in small pots under hand-glass in Melon-pit ; 

 they are rooted through in a few days. I then pot the plants into 6-inch pots, 

 in equal parts of good loam and decayed leaves, taking care always to use 

 leaves free from fungus spawn, as the smallest particle of that would run 

 through the bed in a short time after the plants were planted and poison the 

 whole mass of soil. I saw a case of that sort last spring, and the soil and 

 plants had to be cleared out just as they ought to be making a good start. 



I give the plants another shift to a pot 2 or 8 inches larger as soon as the 

 roots reach the sides of first, and tie the plant to a stick, but do not stop the 

 leader at all until after planting, when it has almost reached the top of the 

 pit, but keep the side shoots stopped as fast as they make a joint. 



I plant out as early in September as I can get the second crop of Melons 

 cleared from the pit, keep rather close for a few days, and then give abun- 

 dance of air; often the lights half off when very hot, and syringe every after- 

 noon when bright, aiid shut the pit up for an hour, and then give air again. 



As the soil at that season is generally warm enough everywhere it seldom 

 requires warming in the pit previous to planting, so I generally clear out 

 Melons in the morning, fill-in for Cucumbers, wash lights, rafters, &c, and 

 give every part a good scalding with boiling water ; whitewash walls, get in 

 soil, and plant the Cucumbers in the evening. I have a flow and return 4-inch 

 pipe under the bed, with 4 inches of rough stones over them, over which I put 

 about IS inches of partly decayed manure which has been nicely sweetened in 

 a lining of a hotbed. If at all dry I give it a good watering with boiling water, 

 which kills woodlice, &c, as well as moistening the litter, which will heat of 

 itself for a short time ; and, of course, the heat of the pipes assists and 

 makes it continuous, and the Cucumber roots go down into the dung and have 

 the benefit of a clung bottom heat without any of its disadvantages. 



The soil I use is two parts good yellow loam, the top spit from an old 

 pasture carted and used fresh direct from the ground chopped very rough ; one 

 part couch grass as raked from the ground preparing for Turnips, and one part 

 decayed leaves, with the addition of a few barrowfuls cf small charcoal and 

 coarse sand. The body of soil is about 15 inches thick, and I had top-dressings 

 of the same compost ae the roots come to the surface and the bed sinks, which 

 it will do to some extent from the loose open nature of the soil, although I 

 tread it firm after planting. 



