M E L 
'that genus '; but as the fruit of this genus has but one 
cell, fo it fhould be feparated from the Solanum, 
whofe fruit have two cells, and of which there are fo 
many fpecies already known, that there need not be 
any addition of plants which can be feparated with 
propriety added to it ; he places it in the firft iebtion 
of his fifth clafs. 
The Species are, 
1. Melongena ( Ovata ) caule inermi herbaceo, foliis 
oblongo-ovatis tomentofis integris, frudtu ovato. Mad 
Apple with a fmooth herbaceous Jtalk , oblongs oval , woolly 
leaves , which are entire , and an oval fruit. Melonge- 
na frudtu oblongo violaceo. Tourn. Inft. 151. Mad 
Apple with an oblong Violet-coloured fruit . 
2. Melongena (Thereto) caule inermi herbaceo, foliis 
oblongo-ovatis tomentofis, frudtu tereti. Mad Apple 
with herbaceous , fmooth , oblong , oval , woolly leaves , 
and a taper fruit. Melongena frudtu tereti violaceo. 
Tourn. Inft. 151. Mad Apple with a taper Violet-co- 
loured fruit. 
3. Melongena (. Tncitrva ) caule inermi herbaceo, foliis 
oblongis finuatis tomentofis, frudtu incurvo. Mad 
Apple with a fmooth herbaceous folk, oblong finuated 
leaves which are woolly , and an incurved fruit. Melon- 
gena frudtu incurvo. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 152. Mad 
Apple with an incurved fruit. 
4. Melongena ( Spinofa ) fpinofa, foliis finuatis-lacini- 
atis, frudtu tereti, caule herbaceo. Mad Apple , with a 
prickly ftalk and leaves which are cut into fimifes , a taper 
fruit , and an herbaceous ftalk. Solanum pomiferum 
frudtu fpinofo. J. B. 3. 619. Apple-beariug Night- 
jhade with a prickly fruit. 
The firft fort grows naturally in Afia, Africa, and 
America, where the fruit is commonly eaten by the 
inhabitants ; and it is cultivated in the gardens in 
Spain as an efculent fruit, by the title of Barenkeena ; 
the Turks who alfo eat the fruit, call it Badinjan, the 
Italians Melanzana, and the inhabitants of the Britifh 
iflands in America, Brown John, or Brown Jolly. It 1 
is an annual plant with an herbaceous ftalk, which 
becomes a little ligneous, and rifes near three feet 
high, • fending out many fide branches, garnifhed 
with oblong oval leaves (even or eight inches long, 
and four broad ; they are woolly, and their borders 
are very (lightly finuated, but not indented, (landing 
without order upon very thick foot-ftalks. The 
flowers come out fingly from the fide of the branches, 
having a thick flefhy empalement of one leaf, which 
is deeply cut into five acute fegments, which fpread 
open, and is armed with ftrong prickles on the out- I 
fide. The flowers have one petal, which is cut at 
the brim into five fegments, which expand in form 
of a ftar, and are a little reflexed ; they are blue, and 
the fummits which are connedted together in the bo- 
fom of the flower are yellow. The flowers are fuc- 
ceeded by oval flefhy fruit, about the flze and fhape 
of a fwan’s egg, of a dark purple on one fide, and 
white on the other. The flowers come out in June 
and July, and the fruit ripens in September. 
There are the following varieties of thefe fpecies ; one 
with white fruit, called by fome the Egg Plant ; one 
with yellow fruit, and another with pale red fruit ; 
all thefe varieties are generally conftant, the feeds pro- 
ducing the fame fruit as thole from which they were 
taken, but as they only differ in colour, fo I chufe 
not to enumerate them as diftindt fpecies. 
The fecond fort differs from the firft in the fhape of 
the fruit, which is commonly eight or nine inches 
long, taper and ftrait ; in other refpedts they are the 
fame, but as this never varies when propagated in 
gardens, fo there can be no doubt of their being dif- 
tindt fpecies. There are two varieties of this fort, 
one with a purplifh fruit, and the other white, but 
the latter is the mo ft common in England. 
The third fort differs from the two former in the 
fhape of the leaves, which are deeply finuated on their 
borders. The fruit is oblong and incurved, of a yel- 
lowiih colour, and larger at the end than in any other 
part. 
The feeds of the fourth fort were fent me from India; * 
this differs greatly from either of the former. The 
ftaiks and leaves are armed with very ftrong thorns, 
and the leaves are larger, and deeply jagged on their 
fides. The flowers are larger, and of z deeper blue 
colour. The fruit is long, taper, and white. 
1 hefe fruit are eaten by moft of the inhabitants of 
the warm parts of the globe, and are efteemed a de- 
licacy, but are fuppofed to have a property of pro- 
voking luft. 
They are propagated by feeds, which muft be fown 
upon a moderate hot-bed in March, and when the 
plants come up, they muft be tranfplanted into ano- 
ther hot-bed about four inches afunder, obferving to 
water and (hade them until they have taken root ; af- 
ter which you muft give them a great (hare of air 
when the weather is warm, otherwife they will draw 
up very weak. They muft be alfo frequently water- 
ed, without which they will make but very "indiffe- 
rent progrefs ; but when they are grown fo ftrong as 
to fill the frame (which will be by the middle or end 
of May, j you muft tranfplant them out into a rich 
fpot of ground, at two feet diftance, or in the 
borders of the pleafure-garden at the fame diftance 
from other plants, obferving to preferve as much 
earth to the roots as poffible when you take them up, 
otherwife they are fubjedt to mifcarry. You muft ob- 
serve to water them plentifully, and (hade them until 
they have taken root, after which they will require 
but very little care, more than to keep them clear 
from weeds, and in very dry weather to give them 
fome water. 
About the middle of July the fruit will appear, at 
which time, if the weather fhould be very dry, you 
muft often water them, which will caufe the fruit to 
grow very large, and increafe their number : toward 
the latter end of Auguft their fruit will ripen, when 
you muft preferve the feeds of each kind feparate ; 
but thofe for the table fhould be gathered before they 
are quite ripe. 
Thefe plants are only preferved as curiofities in the 
Englifh gardens, the fruit being feldom eaten in 
this country, except by fome Italians or Spaniards, 
who have been accuftomed to eat them in their own 
countries. 
MELOPEPO. See Cucurbita. 
MELONRY, or MELON GROUND, is an 
apartment in the kitchen-garden for the propagation 
of Melons only. 
This fpot of ground fhould be open to the fouth-eafl 
fun, but fheltered from the weft, north-weft, and 
north-eaft winds, by walls, pales, or hedges, the 
latter of thefe is the beft ; it fhould alfo be upon a 
dry foil, for nothing is more injurious to thefe plants 
than much wet ; for in the fpring of the year it often 
proves very wet weather, when, if the foil is very 
wet, there will be no making the ridges until it is very 
late. This fhould alfo be contrived as near to the 
dung as poffible, which will fave a great deal of la- 
bour in wheeling the dung; and, if there fhould be a 
pond of water near it, which, in very dry weather, 
will be very ufeful to water the Melons when it is 
neceffary, though it is not often that water is wanted 
for this purpofe in England. 
As to the fize of the ground, that muft be propor- 
tioned to the quantity of ridges intended, which you 
may ealily calculate, by allowing twelve feet breadth 
for every ridge, and the holes placed at about four 
feet afunder ; but it is the beft way to allow room 
enough where you are not ftreightened to it. 
This ground fhould be inclofed with a Reed fence, 
and kept conftantly locked up during the time that 
the Melons are growing, for if they are expofed to 
every perfon that walks in the garden (moft of whom 
have a curiofity to handle the Vines, and look after 
the fruit,) it will be of ill confequence, nothing be- 
ing more injurious to thefe plants than frequent tum- 
bling or difturbing their leaves. 
The common practice in moft gentlemens gardens is, 
to inclofe a fpot of ground either with walls or pales, 
which they conftantly appropriate to this purpofe ; 
but 
