170 
1 
THE FLORIST- 
I like the compost to be as dry as it can be procured, and prefer using 
it without any admixture of dung ; if any is used, sheep’s droppings 
or well-decomposed cow-dung in small quantities may be added, but 
when the soil is very stiff, well-broken brickbats or soft stones may be 
mixed with it in proportion of one barrowful to five or six of the 
compost; these will admit the passage of water freely through the soil 
and prevent its cracking so much when dry. 
When planted in the open bed, the space allotted for training each 
plant must be greatet than for pots, say 18 or 20 feet ; I do not 
recommend a much larger space to each plant, for the reason that the 
Melon is very liable to disease when growing luxuriantly, and canker 
frequently commences with over-grown plants at the base of the stem, 
and destroys the plant; and as the same number or even a greater can 
be grown by allowing each plant a limited space, I prefer it to having 
fewer plants trained over a greater space. But in pits, where there is a 
larger space for the roots to grow in, the plants may be kept for a longer 
time productive, and therefore the stopping must be managed somewhat 
differently, and as soon as two or three fruits are set on each plant, pinch 
back the rest of the laterals to form a second growth, and select those 
Vines which show fruit for producing a succession, when the earliest 
fruit are cut, when the shoots producing them may be treated the same; 
and by these means, taking the greatest care that the leaves are pre¬ 
served healthy, a set of plants may be managed so as to produce a 
long succession of fruit. To assist them in this, fresh surfacing of the 
bed will be necessary, and also liberal soakings of liquid manure. 
The supply of water to Melons will always depend on the nature of 
the soil, and whether bottom heat is supplied from fermenting materials 
or hot-w^ater pipes. With the latter and ample drainage the Melon will 
take a large quantity of water, particularly during bright sunny weather, 
and I have never found its application, even during the time of 
ripening, at all injurious to the flavour of the fruit; but then we ven¬ 
tilate very freely indeed. 
When grown in dung frames (and very excellent Melons are so grown 
during the summer season) the materials should be well sweetened by 
fermenting and frequent turning before making up the bed. One half 
stable dung and tree leaves makes a good mixture, and one which will 
keep a steadier temperature than when made with dung alone; the 
same temperature and general treatment must be given. The young 
plants, in this case, will be stopped when grown a few inches in height; 
and as one or two plants will be turned out under the centre of each 
light, the shoots will require training to near the back and front of the 
frame before they are again stopped, when the lateral shoots must be 
spread regularly over the surface of the bed, and exposed as much to 
light as possible. When the young fruits are set, place them on a piece 
of tile or flat stone, to prevent them from coming in contact with the 
damp soil; indeed, I have frequently covered the surface of the beds 
with tiles (not slates) or bricks, and trained the Vines over them, but 
they will do very well without this, if attended to regularly with water. 
My observations earlier in this article as to the danger of sudden checks 
to the IMelon must not be overlooked here, and timely attention to the 
