MEL 
supplied with feeds by perfons who I thought could 
not be deceived in their choice, and who lived near 
the place of their growth. 
Before I quit this head, I beg leave to caution all per- 
fons againft depending upon feeds which are brought 
from abroad, either by thofe perfons who import 
them for fale, or gentlemen who frequently bring or 
fend over thefe feeds to their friends, for it feldom hap- 
pens that any of thefe prove tolerable. I have been 
lo often deceived by thefe myfelf, as to determine 
never to make trial of any of thefe feeds again, unlefs 
I receive them from a perfon who is fkilfui, and who 
eat of the fruit himfelf of which he faved the feeds ; 
for in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and many parts of 
France, the gardeners are very carelefs in the choice 
of all their feeds, but of the Melons they are remarka- 
bly fo ; and as for thofe which come from Conftan- 
tinople, Aleppo, and other parts of Turkey, I have 
rarely feen one Melon produced from thofe feeds 
which was tolerable. 
The feeds of Melons Ihould not be fown until they 
are three -years old, nor would I chufe to few them 
when they are more than fix ; for although they will 
grow at ten or twelve ' oid, yet the fruit which 
are produced from th ; oid feeds are feldom fo thick 
flefhed, as thofe which come from feeds which are 
frefher : and it is the fame of light feeds, which hvim 
upon water, when they are taken out of the pulp, 
for I have made feme trials of thefe, and have had 
them grow at three years old •, but not one of the Me- 
lons produced on thefe plants was near lo deep flefhed, 
as thofe which grew upon plants railed from heavy 
feeds taken out of the lame fruit, though they grew 
in the fame bed, and were cultivated exactly in the 
fame manner-, nor was their flefh fo firm, but ra- 
ther inclining to be meally therefore I would not 
advife the fowing of thefe light feeds, nor thofe 
which are very old. 
Having thus largely treated of the choice of the forts, 
and of the feeds, I fliall next proceed to the me- 
thod of cultivating them, in order to obtain plenty of 
good fruit : the method which I am going to preferibe 
being very different from what has been conftantly 
pradtifed in England,- will, I doubt not, be objedted to 
by many ; but it is what has been pradtiled in all the 
good gardens in Holland and Germany, where the 
Cantaleupe Melon is produced in great plenty and 
perfedtion ; and from feveral years experience, I have 
found this to be the only method in which thefe Me- 
lons can be cultivated with fuccefs ; and I am like- 
wife convinced of its being the beft way to obtain 
plenty of any other fort of Melon. 
It is common to hear many perfons valuing them- 
felves upon having two or three early Melons, which, 
when brought to the table are not better than a Pump- 
kin, and thefe are procured at a great expence and 
with much trouble ; and in order to have them ripe a 
little earlier than they would naturally come, if buf- 
fered to grow to their full fize, the Item upon which 
the fruit grows is commonly twifted, to prevent the 
nourifhment entering the fruit, whereby the growth 
is checked ; then the fruit is clofely covered with the 
mowings of Grafs-plats, laid of a fufficient depth to 
caufe a fermentation, by which the fruit becomes 
coloured : but where this unnatural method is prac- 
tifed, the fruit has little flefh, and that has neither 
moifture, firmnefs, or flavour-, fo that after four 
months attendance, with a great expence of dung, &c. 
there may, perhaps, be three or four brace of Melons 
produced, which are fitter for the dunghill than the 
table. Therefore my advice is, never to attempt to 
have thefe fruit ripe earlier than the middle or latter 
end of June, which is generally foon enough for this 
climate ; and from that time to the end of September, 
they may be had in plenty, if they are fkilfully ma- 
naged ; and when the autumn has continued favour- 
able, I have had them very good in the middle of 
Gdtober. 
But in order to continue this fruit fo long, the feeds 
muft be fown at two or three different feafons : the firft 
M EL ■ 
fliould be fown about the middle or end of February* 
if the feafon proves forward * but if it is otherwife, it 
will be better to defer it till the end of that month ; 
the future fuccefs greatly depends on the railing the 
plants in ftrength, which cannot be fo well effected, 
if the weather ihould prove fo bad after the plants 
are come up, as that a fufficient quantity of frefh air 
cannot be admitted to them, therefore it is not ad- 
vifeable to be too early in fowing the feeds. 
When the feafon is come, thefe feeds may be fown on 
the upper fide of a Cucumber-bed, where there are 
any and if there are none, a proper quantity of 
new horfe dung muff be provided, which mu ft be 
thrown in a heap to ferment, and turned over, that 
it may acquire an equal heat, in the fame manner as 
hath been direbted for Cucumbers ; and the plants 
muft be railed and managed in the fame manner as 
hath been direbted for them, until they are planted 
where they are to remain for good, to which article 
the reader is defired to turn, to avoid repetition. 
The fecond feafon for {’owing of thefe feeds is about 
the middle of March, and both thefe fowings muft be 
underftood to be planted under frames ; for thofe 
which are defigned for bell or hand-giaftes, or to be 
covered with oil papers, ihould not be fown till about 
a week in April ; for when thefe are fown earlier, if 
the plants are properly managed, they will grow fo 
long, as to extend their fhoots to the fides of the 
glaffes, before it will be fate to let them run out ; 
for it often happens in this country, that we have 
fharp morning frofts in the middle of May -, fo that 
if the ends of thefe Vines are then without the glaffes, 
if they are not covered with mats to guard them 
againft the froft, they will be in danger of fuflfering 
greatly therefrom j and, on the other hand, if the 
plants have fpread fo much as to fill the glaffes, and 
not permitted to run out, they will be in equal dan- 
ger of fuffering by their confinement from the heat 
of the fun in the day time ; therefore it is that I 
Ihould advife the putting of the feed rather a little la- 
ter into the hot-bed for the glaffes, than thofe which 
are to be covered with the oil papers. Nor will the 
times here mentioned be found too late, for I have 
put the feeds of Cantaleupe Melons into a hot-bed 
the third of May, which were not tranfplanted, but 
remained where they were fown, and covered with 
oiled paper -, and from this bed I cut a large crop of 
good fruit, which ripened about the latter end of Au- 
guft, and continued till the end of October. This I 
only mention, to fhew what has and may be done, 
though it muft not be always depended on. 
But we next come to the making and preparing of 
the beds, or, as the gardeners term it, the ridges, into 
which the plants are to be put out to remain ; thefe 
fhould always be placed in a warm fituation, where 
they may be defended from all cold and ftrong winds, 
for the eaft and north winds are generally very trou- 
blefome in the fpring of the year -, fo that if the place 
be expofed to thofe afpects, it will be difficult -to ad- 
mit a proper fhare of frefh air to the young plants ; 
and if it is much expofed to the fouth-weft winds, 
which often are very boifterous in fummer and au- 
tumn, thefe will turn up and difplace the Vines, 
whereby they will fuffer greatly ; therefore the beft 
pofition for thefe beds is where they are open to the 
fouth, or a little inclined to the eaft, and flickered 
at a diftance by trees from the other points : this 
place fhould be inclofed with a good Reed fence, 
which is better for this purpofe than any other inclo- 
fure, becaufe the winds- are deadened by the Reeds, 
and are not reverberated back again, as they are by 
walls, pales, and other clofe fences -, but in making 
the inclofure, it fhould be extended to fuch diftance 
every way from the beds, as not to abftrudt the fun's 
rays during any part of the day ; this fhould have a 
door wide enough toadmit of wheelbarrows paffing,to 
carry in dung, earth, &c. and it fliould be kept locked, 
that no perfons fhould be allowed to go in but thofe 
who have bulinefs ; for ignorant perfons, having of- 
ten curiofity to look into the beds, open the glaffes 
8 U and 
40S 
