March 16 , 1882 . JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 217 
schedule. The Plymouth Flower Show will take place on July 
2Gth. Schedules of the prizes, rules, &c., may be had of Mr. W. 
Mordaunt Tkiselton, the Secretary. There are several very hand¬ 
some prizes for all England. 
- Writing to the Times recently, Mr. George Orme Malley, 
2G, Upper Temple Street, Dublin, makes the following remarks 
on tree-planting IN Ireland: —“The suggestion of planting 
trees in suitable localities throughout Ireland deserves attention. 
In considering the suitableness of localities, nothing is more 
deceptive than the appearance of a country in the absence of the 
evidence of an existing foliage. In Ireland as well as in Switzer¬ 
land no soil is more suited for planting than a rocky one. The 
bogs of Ireland, especially the deep red bog, if deprived of surface 
watar by a cheap system of drainage, will nourish vigorously the 
Spruce, Larch, Scotch and black Austrian Firs, together with 
Holly, Laurel, and magnificent Rhododendrons for undergrowth- 
Witness the experiments in Connemara by Mr. Mitchell Henry, 
M.P., the late Mr. Plunket, and others in Achill and Ballycroy, 
on the shores of the wildj Atlantic, the plantations of the late 
Colonel Clive, M.P., and Mr. Pike. In Sligo and Donegal similar 
proofs of the adaptation of the soil and climate abundantly exist. 
In Achill Geraniums and other greenhouse plants have been cul¬ 
tivated in the open air, and have been left out during the whole 
winter. The Mediterranean Heath flourishes magnificently at 
Mulranny, beyond Newport, and at Carramon Lake, beyond 
Bangor, in Ballycroy, and grows in both places to the height of 
5 or 6 feet, thus indicatingj'the mildness of the climate and the 
productiveness of the soil. In the neighbourhood of Foxford the 
land only requires to be enclosed, and the natural timber pro¬ 
tected from the depredations of goats and cattle and the old roots 
immediately throw out suckers, and the bog Willows and Alders 
spontaneously spring up. The traveller on the railway between 
Foxford and Ballina can see this on the properties of Lord Arran 
and Sir Charles Gore. In connection with waste land reclama¬ 
tion, planting trees for shelter would be essential, or rather indis¬ 
pensable. The * nakedness of our land ’ in respect of foliage is 
its most melancholy feature, and I need not dwell on what is so 
well known to every practical farmer, that nothing nourishes the 
winter grasses or improves outlying stock so much as tree shelter, 
especially Spruce, Fir, or other evergreen or non-deciduous trees.” 
MELONS UNDER RESTRICTION. 
Melons are here grown under difficulties, and possibly some of 
your readers may derive some hints from the details of my practice 
that may be of value to them. The pit employed was not erected 
for growing Melons, but for keeping bedding plants through the 
winter. It is a lean-to, and is against the sunny side of a small 
stove 30 feet long. Its breadth is not in proportion, for its out¬ 
side measurement is just 3 feet. From this remains to be deducted 
a 4Uinch wall and the breadth of a 4-inch pipe which runs along 
the front quite close to the wall and the glass. It will thus be 
seen that the room for laterals spreading is very limited. The 
pit contains seven lights, and one plant is placed to each. The 
actual space occupied by each plant is just 4 feet by 2 feet 
3 inches. Nevertheless, I have more than once taken three- 
quarters of a hundredweight of fine Melons from that restricted 
space in the course of a season. 
Except in a few particulars my mode of cultivating this gene¬ 
rally appreciated fruit differs little from what has been from time 
to time described in the Journal ; but for those who may be com¬ 
mencing I will give every detail from sowing the seed to cutting 
the fruit. This garden is situated in a late and a cold exposed 
locality, and not having artificial heat at command to secure 
temperatures suitable for growing Melons in the earlier months 
of the year a beginning is made early in March, endeavouring 
to maintain an abundant and constant supply from June till 
October. The first batch is raised on a hotbed, generally in the 
first week of March. At the same time a hotbed is not essential, 
for wherever a temperature of from 65° to 75° can be maintained 
with a bottom heat of 70° or a little over, healthy vigorous plants 
may be raised, provided they are not too much shaded. A 6-inch 
pot three parts filled with light fibry loam will be sufficient to 
raise six or seven plants, and these when the rough leaf appears 
should be potted singly into 4^-inch pots, using similar soil of the 
same heat as the bed. Too strong a bottom heat and the use of 
too much water will do mischief ; and air must be admitted when¬ 
ever the outside air is mild enough to allow of its admission into 
the frame in small quantities. In cold weather a mat should be 
fastened over the frame during darkness to prevent the heat 
escaping. 
Six weeks after the seeds are sown the young Melons ought to 
be ready for planting in their permanent quarters. When they 
are in this condition pinch out the centre of the plants, which 
causes them to produce three or four other shoots. If our space 
were greater I should leave all these, but having only room for 
one shoot each way from the centre of each light, all but two are 
removed. When the plants are intended for house culture and to 
be trained to trellises the centres should not be pinched out at 
all. Each one must in this consider his conditions and act 
accordingly. 
To help the plants in the earlier stages 2 feet depth of hot 
manure is placed in the pit, and over this 1 foot depth of the 
best soil the garden affords, for we have not a loam stack, and are 
glad to secure a few barrowfuls of that article for the choicer 
plants in pots. A good medium loam is best, but if that cannot be 
had choose the next best, avoiding, if possible, very light sandy soil. 
Too rich soil is not good : it causes a rank unfruitful growth, and 
the evil is heightened when the plants must, by pinching, be kept 
in a very small state. When Strawberries are trenched down a 
year before, and, in order to deepen the soil, some of the subsoil 
is brought to the surface and afterwards ameliorated by exposure, 
manure, and a crop of Potatoes, suitable soil is to be had handy, 
and such forms the staple of our Melon soil, and it must be suitable 
as large crops of Melons are obtained. But it is somewhat pre¬ 
pared. Such soil would be spoilt by the application of decayed 
manure, which tends to produce leafy exuberance and sterility. 
I give in winter an application of cow urine, and that results in 
plants which are very productive. 
Melons are not like Cucumbers in one respect. Cucumber 
fruits will swell without setting a single seed. Unless Melons set 
their seeds a fruit will never swell. A moist close atmosphere, 
and a rich soil which favours a luxuriant growth, are best for 
Cucumbers ; but under such conditions Melons fail. Drier air 
and poorer soil are necessary in order to succeed with Melons, 
especially under dull skies and with limited room for extension. 
More than that, what the manure furnishes is of even greater 
importance. Melons must form seeds or the fruits will not swell: 
that is known. It is also known that often even vigorous plants 
fail to set fruit, while others by no means vigorous do. Another 
fact is that the mineral basis of seeds is different from that of the 
plants, hence the possibility exists of inferior soils enriched with 
certain foods furnishing plant-forming matter in abundance, and 
not enough of seed-forming food. When one fruit sets, often 
enough an even vigorous plant will fail to produce more. Why ? 
Doubtless because the matters available for seeds have all been 
utilised ; at least, that is my idea, and finding that the ash of 
Melon seeds consists almost wholly of potash and phosphoric acid, 
but especially the former, I act accordingly. The potash is only 
present to the extent of 14 per cent, in the Melon plants. It is 
easy to understand, then, how a soil may contain enough for plant- 
growth, but yet that the growth uses it all. 
With ordinary rotations and ordinary applications of manure 
both field and garden soil become deficient in potash long before 
there is an insufficiency of the other matters. The reason of this 
is that most plants demand more potash than any other com¬ 
pound, and also because less is usually supplied. Acting on this 
idea I have always, and with gratifying success, used urine— 
which is particularly rich in potash salts — for manure to our 
Melons. It is applied in winter—say four or five hundredweight 
to three tons of soil—so that all the manurial matter may have 
time to become available plant food. I have been ridiculed for 
the idea before now, but those may laugh who win. 
After the plants are put out they are subjected to a heat by day 
without sun of 70° to 75°, according to the outside conditions, and 
considerably more when the sun shines, when we ventilate freely. 
When the shoots have grown 18 inches they are stopped and the 
laterals encouraged. On these the fruit appears, and beyond the 
fruit one or two leaves are allowed to form, and, no more room 
being available, all further growth is restricted. The space is 
well filled with leaves, but crowding is decidedly injurious. 
Water is used rather freely when the weather is hot; sparingly 
when dull and damp. The climate must decide the exact amount. 
When it is used complete drenchings must be given, so that no 
part of the soil may be left dry. When Melons suffer by want of 
