4 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Jttnaarj 5, 18S8. 
goes to show that even on the same spike the colour differs much in 
brilliancy, according to the timo it has been in bloom and whether 
heavily shaded or not. 
Through the courtesy and kindness of Mr. Gumbleton, Mr. 
Bedford, and Messrs. Backhouse, I have been enabled to procure 
pieces of their varieties, and look forward with much interest and 
pleasure to flowering them next July and noting the results.—0. T. C. 
MELON GROWING MADE EASY. 
Now that the season has come round again when the majority 
of Melon growers begin to prepare for their next season’s supply of 
this much-esteemed fruit, I think a few notes on the cultivation, 
such as is carried out here, may not be out of place. 
We are expected here to have the first fruit fit for table by the 
end of April, and to obtain that we find it necessary to make the 
first sowing on or as near as possible to the 1st of January. The seeds 
are sown in thumb pots filled with good loam mixed with a little 
leaf mould. We make a hole with the fingers to the depth of an 
inch or so, dropping in some sand, then put two seeds in and fill up 
level to the top with more sand. This we consider a good mode of 
preventing the seeds decaying. Supply at once with warm water, 
then plunge the pots in evaporating pans filled with leaf mould, 
and place them on the hot pipes as near the glass as possible. If 
the leaf mould is kept damp no further watering will be required 
until the plants appear, which occurs in a few days. AVe then 
place them on a shelf near the glass to keep them as dwarf as pos¬ 
sible before potting, which is done as soon as the roots reach the 
side of the pot. If both seeds have germinated we select the 
shortest, and of course the strongest, plant for potting, pulling the 
other one out. 
AVe now come to the potting, and first procure some clean 
5-inch pots, crocked, and the soil mixed ready. Good yellow loam, 
a little leaf mould. Mushroom bed refuse, and a small quantity of 
sand added make a suitable compost, and it is placed in the Melon 
house at least a day before potting. Very little is placed under the 
plants, so as to allow them to be potted as deep as possible. Care 
should also be taken that the soil is not dry, as they will only 
require lightly syringing for a day or so. They aie then placed 
on the shelf again, and as soon as they require it are tied to a light 
stake, as they are liable to snap in their young state. 
Our attention is then turned to preparing the beds for them. 
AVe first make a small hotbed with leaves and good hot short dung, 
such as is used for Mushrooms, about a foot wide and 18 inches 
deep, then place some turfs of good yellow loam on the top, 
building up the sides with the same, then filling up with a mixture 
we prepare beforehand, composed as follows :—A cartload of loam 
chopped up, one barrowload of leaf mould, one of Mushroom 
bed refuse, also a small quantity of lime rubble, soot, and a 
sprinkling of Clay’s fertiliser, native guano, or bone meal. The 
two first lias been tried with success, the latter will be tried this 
year. AVe make this as firm as we can with a large potting stick, 
and this mixture can be strongly recommended to those who are 
troubled with black fly through the growing season, as it has been 
proved to be a great preventive of that pest, which, to my belief, is 
encouraged by the Melons being planted in too heavy soil. After 
the Melons have become well rooted the planting out is done. 
Three are placed to every light, as they produce fruit earlier than 
when grown on the extension system. AVe also plant them deep, 
burying them to the seed leaf, and then make a little mound round 
the stems composed of dry turf and soil, and when watering great 
care is taken not to water these mounds, so that in time they be¬ 
come quite dry, and so keep the stems from canker. AVith most 
Melon growers the rule is to plant as high as they can, but if the 3 '’ 
give the above plan a fair trial they will be pleased with the 
result. 
A stout stake is placed by the side of each plant, and it is 
secured to the first wiie, pinching ctf all laterals, leaving only the 
two nearest the wire, then pinch again until the leader has reached 
the top wire. There will then bo found plenty of male and female 
flowers to make a good set of fruit. AVhen setting the fruit, care 
should be taken not to syringe the plants the evening before, as if 
it is not bright next day the pollen will not be dry enough. In a 
day or two select the best fruits. If large fruits are wanted two 
will be sufficient to leave ; if not, three will swell very well and 
make good medium-sized fruits. As soon as the fruits commence 
swelling supply the plants with liquid manure, as from then until 
the netting period is when they require most nourishment. AVater- 
ing at all times must be attended to, on a fine day if possible, and 
early in the morning, and always with warm water, as otherwise 
the roots suffer and cause a great check to the Melons. They also 
like an even temperature, say from 70’ to 75° at night and from 
80° to 85° in the daytime, according to the weather out of doors. 
Alelons are subject to several pests. Black fly has been already 
alluded to. Red spider also often attacks them. The best remedy 
for the latter, I find, is to well syringe the plants with tepid water 
in the morning juat as the sun begins shining on the plants. Mealy 
bug is another, the only remedy for which is to thoroughly cleanse- 
the house in the winter and sj'ringe it with strong petroleum and 
water, then taking care not to take any plant in the house with bug 
on it, as it is impossible to free them in the growing season from 
this pest, as the leaves are too tender for either sponging or 
syringing with insecticide. 
In conclusion, I should like to name a few out of the numerous 
varieties there are now in cultivation, and that have done well with 
me under cultivation as recommended above. Hero of Locking© 
I find to be a first-class Melon, one that should be grown by all, as 
it is always to be relied on as having a delicious flavour. Best of 
All and Scarlet Premier are very free and hardy, and when well 
grown of a good flavour. La Favorite is a good one, being free 
and well flavoured. High Cross Hybrid may be safely recommended 
as the easiest Melon to grow we have, and not one of the worst for- 
flavour. I have obtained a seedling from Scarlet Premier crossedl 
with the latter, and have no hesitation in saying that when it is 
well known it will become a favourite. There may be many more 
varieties good enough to be mentioned with these, but of all I 
have tried I much prefer these.—P. T. D. 
FACTS ABOUT GRAPES. 
ALICANTE. 
Amateurs, as well as professional gardeners with only one 
vinery, usually plant Black Hamburgh, Foster’s Seedling, Buck- 
land Sweetwater, and perhaps Madresfield Court, only to find that 
none of these can be kept in good condition nearly so late as wished.. 
The question then aidses, and is very frequently put, AVhat 
should be substituted for any of these in order to have Grapes as- 
late, say, as Christmas ? In such cases I always advise either plant¬ 
ing or inarching two or three canes of Alicante, this being the- 
only reliable and comparatively easily grown late variety that will 
do well under treatment similar to that given the Black Hamburghs- 
As far as quality is concerned the Alicante is inferior to Black 
Hamburgh, Madresfield Court, Lady Downe’s, and Mrs. Pince, but 
is superior to either Gros Maroc as usually met with, Gros Colman,. 
and Alnwick Seedling, and in addition is decidedly of very attractive 
appearance. It will bear almost as much bad treatment as Black 
Hamburgh, and, grown in the same house, will keep at least two 
months longer. The quickest way to establish it, in an already fur¬ 
nished vinery, would be to either graft or inarch it on Black 
Hamburgh, Foster’s Seedling, or any A'^ines that can be best, 
spared. There are several methods of accomplishing this, and if 
successful, a good fruiting rod may result the same season. It is 
too early to attempt anything of the kind, but those anxious to 
try the experiment should procure a few short lengths of the 
variety they require, bedding these in the open ground till the time-, 
has arrived for using them. AVe have tried various experiments in 
grafting and inarming with excellent results, and will describe 
these at a seasonable date. 
To have the Alicante really good it needs more heat than is- 
given to Black Hamburgh, but this difficulty can be partially 
obviated by either planting or establishing it by grafting at the 
warmest end of the house, and giving the least air there. As it is- 
slower in arriving at maturity it is always advisable to forward by 
early starting or closing the house, say, by the end of February. 
If the house is devoted to both early and late varieties the end 
containing the former may be left open another month longer. In 
this manner it is possible to have all in flower at the same time, and 
a day temperature of about 65° with a fall of 5° by night will be 
beneficial to both early and late Grapes. A little fire heat is also of: 
good service when the Grapes are ripening, this, if air is given night 
and day, invariably improving the quality of both early and late 
varieties. AVithout it they usually keep badly. The Alicante 
forces remarkably well, and 1 have seen it very good as early as. 
July. At Badminton it is ripened or finished grandly by the first 
week in August, the quality also being above the average. Being; 
the favourite autumn and winter variety, a long succession is secured 
by Mr. Nash, more Alicantes being grown than at any other private 
place probably in the country. “ A Tourist ” (page 380) has already 
alluded to the remarkably heavy crops of Alicante grown in a span- 
roofed vinery at Cardiff Castle, and on two occasions that I have 
seen this place I have been much struck with the extraordinary- 
weight of bunches Mr. Pettigrew obtains without apparently in¬ 
juring the A’ines. In our case, overcropping results in the formation 
of small berries and late shanking. It is hard work cutting away so 
many promising looking bunches, but ic must be done unhesitatingly 
if fine produce is aimed at. The finest bunches are usually formed 
