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REMARKS ON MELON GROWING. 
REMAKES ON MELON GROWING. 
By Hr. J". L. MIDDLEMISS, Gardener at Bentham Hill, Toxbridge 'Wells. 
KTIHERE can be no doubt that a house heated with hot water, is, for the culture of Melons, not only 
IX the most economical structure as regards labour but also superior, in every point of view, to the old 
pit or frame, heated with fermented materials ; nevertheless, the great majority of growers are like 
myself, obliged to put up with the inconvenience of the old frame or pit ; and as good melons, and 
plenty of them, can be, and are, grown in these, I will confine myself to their culture in such 
structures. 
The soil that I have found best suited for Melons is turfy loam (Epping is the best), fresh, chopped 
up, but not too fine, and mixed with a few broken bricks, lumps of charcoal, or bones, to ensure 
porosity to the mass. Notwithstanding I prefer this sort of soil, they may be grown in loamy ditch 
scourings, or any other material of a like nature, provided care be taken to ensure thorough drainage 
by mixing with it any of the materials above stated : in fact, I have seen excellent Melons grown in 
nothing but pond-mud and lime rubbish. The bed of soil in which they are grown should be two feet 
deep — say eighteen inches of the finest on the top, and six inches of the roughest over the drainage at 
bottom ; thus the rooting medium will be two feet. Previous to putting soil into the frame or pit, 
I put a layer of turf, with the grassy side downwards, all over the dung or drainage. This prevents 
the dung burning the roots, and hi pits keeps the loose soil from getting down amongst the drainage ; 
but it is of further importance, as will presently be explained. In putting the soil I carry up under 
each light two inch drain-pipes. This is for the purpose of pouring water down, which will spread 
over the turf and keep the rootlets in a healthy state when the fruit is ripening, and when watering 
on the surface-soil must be discontinued. 
In planting out, select plants of a healthy green and growing appearance. If the bed is ready 
they may be ridged out when they have produced two rough leaves, but if not ready, care should be 
taken to prevent the plants becoming pot-pound (as they never get over this), by frequent shiftings : 
they will then feel no check from being turned out of the pots. In planting it is well to use a little 
loam and leaf-mould for them to start into, and I always draw up a hill to plant on, five or six inches 
higher than the surrounding soil, and never water nearer the stem of the plant than the outside of 
this bill ; this prevents canker. One plant under a light is sufficient ; if intended to grow them on 
trellises, they should not be stopped till they reach the required height ; but if intended to be grown 
on the surface of the soil I stop them at the fourth joint. Three or four shoots will then be produced 
which should be pegged down to the soil, and not stopped till they reach the sides of the pit or frames, 
their ends are then pinched out. They will then produce plenty of fruit-bearing shoots, and as soon as 
there are a sufficient number of female flowers expanded, I dust the pollen of the male blossoms over 
them, and stop the shoots one joint from the fruit, keeping the atmosphere of the frame rather dry for 
a few days, till all are fairly set. I then select, say five or six on each plant, of the most evenly 
swelled fruit and place them on pieces of slate, pinching off all other fruit that may have set. Up to 
this period I use very little water, merely damping round the frame, say twice a-day ; and never at any 
time during the whole course of their growth watering over the leaves. Water should always be given 
under, not over, the leaves, and always at the same temperature as the soil. This is imperative. I 
shut up early hi order to secure a considerable degree of solar heat ; indeed this is the time when the 
ma xim um should be attained, and if the temperature by sun-heat rise to 90°, or even 100°, the plants 
will luxuriate in it. This is the only time when the frames should be shut up close ; they should be 
opened again in the evening, and the lights kept a little tilted all night, to ensure a free circulation of 
air. This, of course, would be wrong if there were any danger of frost or cold easterly winds getting 
in. If it be found necessary, from a deficiency of heat (but this should be avoided if possible), to have 
the lights quite closed all night, care should be taken to give a little ah' before the sun shines on the 
plants in the morning, as this is particularly injurious to them after being shut up all night. I never, 
at any time, shade my plants, unless it be very early ones, after a long course of dark damp weather, 
when, the sun breaking out with unclouded brightness, would scorch them up. Here many err, 
thinking to let then- plants have every blink of sunshine, the glass is wiped and every particle of shade 
removed, when it frequently happens, on visiting them half-an-hour afterwards, they are found with 
their leaves curled up as if they had been watered over head with scalding water. They shoidd be 
gradually inured to bright light and sunshine. This, of course, relates to early Melons ; we do not 
expect very dark weather in May or June. 
I generally keep the temperature at from 60° to 65° by night, and from 70° to 75°, allowing a rise of 
10° by sun-heat. But it would be wrong to take this as a fixed rule : regulate the internal by the 
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