CULTURE OF MELONS. 
245 
for the mode of practice laid down is excellent, the description of it 
very clear and well detailed, and the authority referred to, undenia- 
ble. 
In page 570 of Vol. 5, Mr. London notices among other interest¬ 
ing objects during one of his garden calls, the Culture of Melons 
from cuttings, at Petworth House, by Mr. C. Harrison, the very able 
author of the Treatise on Fruit-Trees. His words are “We have 
already described this practice (Vol. 2, p. 415”) “as adopted by 
Mr. Harrison, for the purpose of obtaining a second crop ; but as he 
has here adopted it for almost the whole of his main crops, we shall 
give an outline of his practice, subject, if we err, to his corrections 
in a future number. In the beginning of the season, one hill of 
seedlings is planted of each of the sorts it is intended to cultivate du¬ 
ring the summer, and from these seedling plants or their offspring, 
cuttings are taken for all the crops. A one-light frame is set apart 
expressly for striking cuttings, and in it a stock of rooted plants, but 
never of more than three or four days’ growth, are kept all the sum¬ 
mer. A bed or pit being ready to plant, rooted cuttings are chosen 
on which fruit blossoms have already appeared, and these are dis¬ 
tributed over the beds at distances so as to allow one, or from that to 
two square yards of surface to each plants, according to the size of 
the leaves and the mode of growth. In five or six days after plant¬ 
ing, if the cuttings have been taken at the right time, that is, newly 
rooted, and with fruit blossoms just beginning to expand, the fruit 
will be as large as hens’ eggs; in three weeks the greater part will 
be full grown; in five weeks some of the plants will have furnished 
three or four ripe fruits, and will be ready to be pulled up and re¬ 
placed by others; and thus, in an extensive pit, or set of frames, 
every two or three days during the summer, the process of taking up 
and replanting will take place.” “ It must be evident to every prac¬ 
tical gardener.” Mr. Loudon most justly observes, “that no such 
rapid and certain mode of having an abundant crop of fruit has hi¬ 
therto been practised. For our parts, we were quite astonished to 
see so many fruit with so small a proportion of leaves and vines, 
and to find .fruit in every part of every sash of above a hundred 
sashes. The plants are watered with the drainings of the melon 
ground, which are led to a well in which they are concentrated by 
evaporation and fermented. If the liquor is not sufficiently strong, 
there is a heap of recent sheep’s dung ready to add to it. Mr. Har¬ 
rison prefers, that it should ferment some time before using, which 
is in unison with the practice of the German and Dutch gardeners 
and farmers, who never use the contents of their urinariums till they 
