846 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Ootober 14, 1888. 
comparatively fibreless, neither fruit trees nor vegetables forming much 
fibre when far below the surface.—W. Iggulden. 
REVIEW OF GRAPES. 
Me. J. McIndoe, writing under this heading at page 321, in reference 
to the two bunches of Grapes staged by Mr. W. Taylor at the Crystal 
Palace and Kensington Shows early in September last under the name of 
Oros Maroc, says, “ I with two well-known Grape exhibitors carefully 
examined them. At first sight they appeared ti be as dissimilar as it is 
possible for two bunches of one variety to be.” The largest one, Mr. 
McIndoe says, appears to have been taken from the leading shoot of a strong 
young Vine, the wood of which appears to have been thoroughly ripened 
last year. The other bunch had evidently been cut from a weak lateral 
that had not been well ripened last year, hence, says Mr. McIndoe, the 
difference in length of footstalk and general appearance. He further 
says, “ Upon looking over several other stands of Gros Maroc, we could 
discern as great or greater differences between different samples as in that 
of Mr. Taylor's two bunches.” I have quoted Mr. Mclndoe’s remarks on 
this subject, so as to present his somewhat strange conclusions and my 
criticism thereon together in the same article before your readers, so that 
they may see at a glance the grounds upon which Mr. McIndoe based his 
remarks, and judge for themselves whether they are such as to justify the 
conclusion at which he arrived. 
1, like Mr. McIndoe, was an exhibitor of Grapes at the Crystal Palace 
and South Kensington Shows early in September last, and, in conjunction 
with several skilled gardeners, examined and admired Mr. Taylor’s Grapes 
at the Palace Show ; but, unlike your correspondent, at first sight we 
thought the larger and more symmetrical bunch of the two shown as Gros 
Maroc was Gros Colman, and the more closely we examined the two 
bunches in question, which curiously enough were alternated with Black 
Alicante on the stands, the more fully were we convinced that they were 
two varieties—Gros Colman and Gros Maroc. The general character of 
the bunch referred to—size, shape, colour, and bloom of berries, with one 
exception, were unmistakeably those of Gros Colman. In short, the two 
bunches were strikingly dissimilar in every respect. And in support of 
this opinion, expressed at the time the said bunch was being examined by 
several competent judges, I suggested a comparison with the several 
stands of Gros Maroc staged in the class f or that unmistakeable Grape a 
few yards from Mr. Taylor’s excellent collection, not one bunch of which 
resembled that gentleman’s small Gros Maroc bunch, though they all more 
or less resembled the large one. I am aware that there were observable 
■differences in a few of the samples of Gros Maroc shown in that class, 
the berries in some bunches being less oval than those in others, but they 
were all unmistakeably Gros Maroc. But I am taking up more space than 
I had intended doing, as I had only intended asking Mr. McIndoe to 
kindly show in what way the “leading shoot of a strong young Vine,the 
■wood of which appeared to him to have been thoroughly ripened last year, 
and the weak lateral that appeared not to have been well ripened last 
year,” could contribute to the production of a bunch composed of globular 
berries having the colour and bloom of a Groi Colman Grape in one case, 
and that of one having oval berries and the colour and bloom of Gros 
Maroc in the other. I am well aware that the ripeness or unripeness of 
the wood has a good deal to do with the production of compact or loose 
bunches, but I have yet to learn that properly ripened wood is instru¬ 
mental in the production of round-berried Grapes instead of oval-shaped 
ones, and vice versa .— Exhibitor. 
CULTURE OF THE MELON. 
[A paper read by Mr. J. A. Mann, gardener to D. B. Kendell, Esq., M.P., Heath 
Home, near Wakefield, to the Wakefield Paxton Society, 18th September, 1886.] 
The Melon is a tender annual, producing one of the richest fruits 
brought to the dessert table, and has been cultivated in England since 
1570 ; but the precise time of its introduction and native country are 
unknown. It was originally brought here from the tropics, and was till the 
time of Miller called the Musk Melon. To grow the fruit to perfection 
the aid of artificial heat and glass are required throughout every stage 
of its culture, and even in the warmest months it cannot be brought to 
perfection in Britain without the protection of glass. Ripe fruit may be 
had at any season with the exception of midwinter ; but the main crop 
of fruits for general demand are seldom cut at the earliest before the 
middle of May, and the last succession mostly ceases to yield fruit after 
October. To ripen the largest and best fruit with the best flavour as 
great an atmospherical and bottom heat is required as is sufficient to ripen 
the Pine Apple in this country ; but as the Melon is produced from an 
annual plant, the seed of which must be sown every year, it requires a 
different mode of culture. 
Different methods of treatment and various kinds of earths and of 
manures have been recommended and used successfully in Melon culture, 
bnt the great thing after planting the young seedlings is to give them 
plenty of atmospherical heat and a sufficiency of air. The Melon will 
succeed in any unexhausted loam if it be rich in vegetable matter with a 
mixture of sand, but not too light. The following is a good compost:— 
Two-thirds of the top spit from a sheep pasture, adding sharp sand if 
the eaith contains little or none till half is sand; add one-sixth of vege¬ 
table mould and one-sixth of well-decayed manure ; or if the earth is not 
obtained from a pasture sheep dung may be substituted for the last. The 
ingredients should be well incorporated and pulverised, drying the com¬ 
post, and before it is used warm it in the frame. The Melon will grow 
and produce fruit of a good flavour if it be planted in any kind of 
earth not of too light a texture, whether it be taken from the kitchen 
garden or from a cornfield mixed with good decayed dung ; but Eoil of a 
loamy nature is the best, because it retains moisture longer than light 
soil. Earth dug from the surface of a common where sheep and cattle 
have long been pastured is excellent for the Melon, but it should be well 
broken to pieces about the size of an Apple, and lie five months before it 
be used, and if it be exposed to a winter’s frost it will do it good. 
Unless the s oil used is veiy strong I make it a practice when the Melon 
beds are earthed up to tread the surface, which makes the earth retain 
jts moisture longer than if it were left loose. 
R : po fruits may be cut in about fifteen weeks from the time of sowing 
the seed as an average period ; when many short and wintry days fall in 
the course it may last eighteen weeks, but when the forcing is not com¬ 
menced till the days are nearly twelve hours long and continuously 
lengthening ripe fruit are sometimes cut in ten weeks. Little time is 
gained by beginning to force Melons in December, seed for the early 
crop is, as a rule, sown from the middle of January to the first week of 
February, and the succession crop at the beginning of March, and the 
late crops intended to fruit at the end of the summer in the middle of 
April. The plants may he raised in a Cucumber bed, and this is the 
general practice ; but I prefer a separate bed with a higher temperature 
than the Cucumber requires at the same period of the year. A one or 
two-light frame may be used, according to the number of plants required. 
As soon as the plants appear admit air cautiously, protecting the frame or 
pit with matting at night and on frosty days. At favourable opportuni¬ 
ties give a little air, which will get rid of the condensed steam from the 
glass. When the seed leaves are about half an inch long transfer the 
seedlings into small pots about 4 inches in diameter. Give a gentle 
watering to the roots, then plunge the pots in the bed again and keep 
them close for a few days. The young plants will then have formed roots, 
when more air can be given on favourable occasions, which will help to 
strengthen them. When air is admitted it should be given at the upper 
end of the lights, which should be raised about an inch or two, according 
to the amount of sun. 
Close early and damp the house, but if they are in a dung pit damping 
is not required. Water occasionally when the earth appears dry. As the 
plants advance in growth the first runner bud should be stopped by 
cutting or pinching the top off close to the first or second joint. This 
strengthens the plants and promotes fruitful growth. When the first 
growths are three or four joints in length, if no fruits be shown stop them 
at the third joint in order that they may produce fruitful laterals, and 
as the runners extend train them over the surface of the bed with neat 
pegs. Many shoots, as the plants proceed, will show fruit, but many 
barren ones are produced, and hence it becomes necessary to regulate 
them. Cut out the superfluous unfruitful or evidently useless shoots, 
especially the very weak and the most luxuriant, for the medium-sized 
shoots are the most fertile. As the blooms expand assist the setting 
by fertilising them. The Melon, however, will also set naturally and pro¬ 
duce fertile buds if the time of fructification fall at a season when the 
house can be left almost constantly open. I have proved by experience 
that unfertilised Melons will not swell such fine and handsome fruits 
as fertilised ones, and therefore I consider it more necessary to attend 
to this operation in Melons than in Cucumbers. 
When planting the Melon be careful to see the soil is properly warmed. 
From 75° to 80° is a suitable temperature, although I believe that the 
Melon will stand any amount of heat if there be plenty of moisture, and 
the plants be in a healthy condition. When the plants have leaves about 
3 inches long, and about two or three leaves on each plant, they are 
quite ready for planting out, but never allow one to get too much 
root-bound, or it will injure it in its after growth. A young plant never 
should receive any check before it is placed out. Turn the plants out of 
the pots carefully, not disturbing the roots if possible. Alter planting 
give a gentle watering over the bed and round the roots. Take care 
not to wtt the stems, shut the frames close until the heat and steam 
arise, then give a little air. Place a mat, or any other material, to shade 
them at mid-day until the roots have formed, which will be in three 
or four days after planting. Choose a warm morning for water¬ 
ing before the middle of May, and in summer the afternoon or evening 
according to the aspect of the pits. This operation should be done with 
great care, and let as little as possible fall on the newly set young fruits, 
or near the main head of the plant. As the fruit becomes nearly ripe 
lessen the quantity of water given, just keeping the foliage from flagging, 
and withhold water entirely when the fruit begins to turn colour. 
In varieties almost every gardener has his special favourites, but it 
does n t follow that those are the best for all purposes, one reason for 
this, among several, being that so much depends upon the conveniences 
of the cultivator, as well as the taste of those for whom the fruits are 
grown. At the same time a few remarks on the various sorts that have 
come under my notice may be of service to intending cultivators who 
may yet be undecided as to what variety to select. Thera are many 
varieties of Melons before the public at present, and it would be almost 
impossible to choose the best. I should advise anyone that has a good 
sort to save the seed, and not to get it crossed with any other. I 
have found the following varieties very good, and can recommend them 
to anyone that has a convenient place to grow Melons in. I shall only name 
four, which I think are enough for any gardener to grow—namely, Hero 
of Lockinge, scarlet fleshed ; William Tillery, green fleshed ; Here of Bath, 
scarlet fleshed ; and Dr. Kendell, scarlet fleshed. The last is a seedling 
raised by myself. It is a very handsome Melon, beautifully netted, and 
I when quite ripe it has a splendid golden colour. I exhibited a fruit two 
