February 2a, U9I. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
1G5 
original Moss; Eose ? Not one ! IIow many as good ? Not one ! How 
many worth growing at all ? Not half a dozen ! and goes on to state 
their imperfections. The hest three Moss Eoses he places in the follow¬ 
ing order—Old Moss, Blanche Moreau, and Little Gem ; three others to 
follow them—Crested Moss, White Bath, and Celina. There his selection 
ends, and asks if it is a worthy record of Eose culture? He describes 
how these Eoses should be grown for having the greatest abundance of 
their charming pointed buds and mossy sepals such as are sold in the 
streets of London in the early days of June. 
An altogether different contribution, and a very excellent one, is that 
of Mr. Lindsell on “ Preparing Eoses for Exhibition.” A very close 
observer and diligent worker is this gentleman. He tells us of “ Teas 
that show a too near approach to mother earth,” notably Mardchal Niel, 
Niphetos, Comtesse de Nadaillac, Madame de Watteville, Madame 
Cusin, Ethel Brownlow, and are therefore best budded on standard 
Briars. He passes through the routine of culture, the exact reverse of 
tediously, names from five to six o’clock on the evening before the show 
day as the best time for cuttine as a rule, as “ no other time gives such 
assistance in judging how the flowers will stand at t’ne fateful eleven 
o’clock on the following morning.” He also reminds that “ Eose blooms 
chiefly make their growth between 7 and 9 A.M., and if the latter hour 
can be safely tided over, the chief time of peril for overblown Eoses will 
be passed.” After advising that Eoses should be taken to shows at 
night, even if time tables show the journey may be deferred till the 
morning, and “making friends” with railway guards, Mr. Lindsell 
dwells a little on dressing blooms, believing it “ legitimate to assist a 
bloom to expand and remove a defective petal, but not alter its 
character.” Within those limits, he thinks “ the exhibitor should not 
be debarred from obtaining any legitimate advantage which his skill in 
presenting the blooms may give him. Another exhibitor may excel in 
staging or arranging his flowers, and he* does not see why any advan¬ 
tage arising from this should be readily conceded to him, when a similar 
benefit is denied to the clever manipulator ”—rather a hard nut for the 
total prohibitionists of dressing to crack. “ But the pleasure of Eose- 
growing is not,” says this successful exhibitor, “ limited to achieving 
victories. The memoiy recalls sweet June mornings, when the Eose 
foliage bathed in dew is in itself a glory of the garden. The distant 
clock strikes five as we wander round our plants attending to their 
needs. Then as the sun rises high, and the morning wears on, we 
leave our plants for such daily work as is allotted to us, but gladly 
return in cool eventime, and watch them settling down to rest. Truly 
a happy, peaceful pursuit, which gives pleasure to many beside the 
Eose grower, and in the enjoyment of which the short-lived excicement 
of exhibitions has but a trivial share.” So closes this admirable little 
essay on the Eose. 
Mr. George Paul contributes three or four pages on “ Dijon Tea 
Eoses,” and after a short historical review, and an enumeration of 
varieties, embodies a practical suggestion in his last paragraph. “ The 
Dijon Teas, be they Gloire, Madame Berard, or Bouquet d’Or, make 
great bushes, or in threes or fives together, large clumps of colour just 
when they ere wanted in early summer. A good barrowful of manure 
to each bush or clump ensures each year a finer and freer show of 
flowers, useful alike for decoration where it stands or to cut and forward 
to gladden the town dweller, the sick-room or hospital, or to fill the 
china bowl of the cottage, whose garden it adorns.” Very good, Mr. 
Paul. 
Mr. Edward Mawley tells all about the weather of the past Eose 
year, and its influence on plants, blooms, insects, and shows. The 
National Show at the Crystal Palace we are reminded was held on the 
coldest day (July Jth) of the singularly cold summer of 1890, and the 
Eoses were as fresh at the end of the day as at the beginning; also we are 
informed that the 18th of July was in many parts of the country the 
wettest of the whole year ; but at Birmingham, where the Society’s 
Provincial Show was held, only a slight shower fell. This was the 
largest and finest N.E.S. “ provincial ” yet held, and notwithstanding 
the wet weather after midsummer, the Bose season was above the 
average. So let us say is the “ Eosarian’s Year Book,” thus lightly 
skimmed over ; and to make room for these jottings the publication of 
some other Eose notes in type must be postponed, and we trust the 
author of them will not be grievously disappointed in consequence. 
MELONS AND THEIR CULTURE. 
[Read by Mr. W. P.iLMKR, Thames D'tton, at a recent nioetinpr of the Eiling and 
Chiswick Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Sjclety.] 
Of late years much has been written on Melons and their culture, 
yet rarely do two persons recommend or follow the same system of 
cultivation. I shall therefore in this paper only detail experience which 
I know to have been successful. The Melon came originally, I believe, 
from the West Indies as long ago as 1571, but was never grown with 
such success as now, great strides having been made in the improve¬ 
ment of the varieties in the last ten years or so, which might be fairly 
said to have done much to make it one of the most popular fruits of 
the present day. For the purpose of giving some little method to 
my paper I have divided it into four parts—viz , I., General remarks 
as to cultivation; II., Select list of Melons; Ill,, Judging Melons; 
IV,. Diseases to which Melons are subjected and their prevention. 
I., CuLTiv'ATiON. —The soil employed should be good stiff yellow 
loam. The nearer it approaches a clayey nature the better, as in that 
the Melon thrives best ; but if this is not obtainable, and loam of 
a lighter texture has to be used, a little clay can be mixed with it, 
as stiff soil prevents the plants growing too freely and the wood 
becoming sappy. The compost should be formed as follows :—One 
cartload of loam, to which should be added one barrowload of Mush¬ 
room-bed refuse and one of leaf mould, made if possible from Oak or 
Beech leaves thoroughly decayed (this and the former should be put 
through an inch sieve), a G-inch or 8-inch potful of the following :— 
Soot, bonedust, charcoal, and one of Clay’s fertiliser, native guano, 
Thomson’s Vine manure, or any such prepared manure, of which we 
have at the present day a good variety to choose from ; also of quick¬ 
lime, or if lime rubble be obtainable a double quantity of that in 
preference to lime. The loam must be chopped to about the size of a 
duck’s egg, and mixed well with the above several weeks before putting 
it in the Melon house, in which it should be conveyed at least three 
days before planting, to have a good temperature in the soil. 
The seeds for the earliest supply, if required for the end of April, 
should be so vn in the beginning of January singly, or where seed is 
plentiful two seeds in a 60-sized pot. The pots must be well cleaned 
before use, well drained, and about three parts filled with loam, a 
little leaf mould being added. Place the seeds in a small bed of sand 
to prevent their decaying, this being often the case with early sown 
seeds. Plunge the pots in a slight hotbed, or an evaporating pan will 
answer the purpose well if the plants are plunged in leaf mould and 
placed on the pipes. As soon as the seed germinates remove the pots to 
a shelf near the glass to prevent the young plants being “ drawn.” 
After the second leaf appears top-dress with more loam and a little 
native guano added, as I find the latter encourages root action. A 
slight stake will be required in the pot ready to support the stem. 
As the roots reach the sides of the pot repot the plants into 5-inch size, 
making the compost a little richer, and at this stage they must be 
potted firmly, taking great care not to injure any of the young roots, 
giving water for a few days only in sufficient quantity to prevent 
flagging. 
The next matter requiring attention will be placing the compost in 
the beds, which have already been prepared as before stated. Form the 
beds by placing a single brick wa'l about 2 feet from the outer wall, 
and 2 feet high, and have a good layer of brick ends placed in the 
bottom for drainage ; if for very early Melons, a small hotbed on the 
top will be found beneficial. Make the compost as firm as possible 
with a potting stick, unless it be very wet, and it then should be made 
only moderately firm. This is necessary to cause the plants to produce 
short-jointed wood. I do not advocate the system sometimes adopted 
of growing them on mounds, adding soil at intervals through the grow¬ 
ing season, as very often the plants are allowed to suffer by the roots, 
which push through the surface, perishing before the dressing is 
added. 
When the plants are ready for putting out make a hole with a 
hand fork or trowel deep enough to allow the ball to be just below the 
surface, the surplus soil being placed round the stem, forming a little 
mound. Perform the operation if possible on a bright afternoon, 
syringing the plants weP, and closing the house. Two or three plants 
to a light will be found sufficient, and they may be supported with a 
stake placed well in the soil and secured to the trellis, to which the 
plants are tied as they advance in growth. Pinch all laterals out until 
the wires are reached, then one can be allowed to grow as well as 
the leader ; these will be found sufficient to carry the crop if three 
plants are grown to a light. Stop the other laterals one leaf beyond 
the fruits, and when the flowers are open they should be fertilised. 
This operation must be performed before syringing in the morning, 
or before the same is done in the afternoon, as the pollen is then drier 
than at any other time during the day. 
After the early fruits have reached the size of a walnut select those 
intended for the crop. If small fruits only are required leave three, if 
large two. Carefully remove the other laterals by degrees. A little 
quicklime being rubbed on the place greatly assists it to heal, and often 
through this neglect the joint decays, and causes the whole stem to do 
the same. From this stage the plants may be assisted by liquid 
manure. 
We now come to the most trying period to Melon growers, which is 
from the time the fruit is half grown to the ripening. Melons at this 
advanced stage need all the gardener s skill and attention to finish the 
