448 
C U C U M I S. 
track near the foot-ftalk, and its beginning to fmell, 
which never fail ; for, as the cantaleupe melons feldom 
change their colour until they are too ripe, that fliould 
never be waited lor. i he directions here given for the 
management of the cantaleupe melons, will be found 
equally good for all the other forts. 
In faving of the feeds, only fuch fliould be regarded as 
are taken from the firmed fruit, and thofe which have 
the higheft flavour; and if thefe are taken out with the 
pulp entire, without difplacing the feeds, and differed to 
remain in the pulp two or three days before it is wafhed 
out, the better; and then, preferve only the heavy 
feeds, which fink in water. 
Additional Directions. — i. If you are obliged to ufe new 
feed, hang it up in a paper or phial in a dry room near 
the fire all winter, or in a window expofed to the fun, 
or carry it in your pocket three or four weeks. If your 
feed be too old, fteep it two or three hours in milk, luke¬ 
warm, immediately before you fow it. 
2. A fmall family cannot have lefs than one three- 
light frame for the early crop, and three hand or bell 
glades, or three holes under oiled paper for the late 
crop ; which will produce only from thirty to forty me¬ 
lons. A middling family will require double this quan¬ 
tity. And a large family fliould have four three-light 
frames, and twelve glaifes or holes under oiled paper, to 
infure a tolerable fupply of fruit during the feafon. 
3. In the nurfery-bed the fecdling plants fliould be 
gradually earthed up as they rife in height. When the 
two or three firfl: rough leaves are fully expanded, and 
another is forming in the center, appearing like a bud, 
this latter fliould be pinched off clofe to the fecond or 
third leaf, to procure lateral flioots or runners ; and when 
thefe firfl: runners appear, the plants are ready for tranf- 
planting into the fruiting hot-bed. This will be in five 
or fix weeks from the time of fowing. 
4. Many perfons prefer making the hot-beds entirely 
on the furface, for the fake of lining them more com¬ 
pletely with hot dung, to renew the heat when wanted. 
The height, of the bed fliould be three feet and a half, 
or four feet, the back or north fide being raifed three or 
four inches higher. The frames being put on to keep 
out the wet, and draw up the heat, the glaifes fliould 
be kept up behind, that the fleam may pals away; and 
the great heat will not be fufficiently abated for mould¬ 
ing the bed till a week at leaft, or perhaps ten or fifteen 
days, according to the fubftance of the bed. 
5. A bufliel of mould is the proper quantity for form¬ 
ing the hill in which the young fruiting plant is to be 
let; the height may be about fifteen inches -. fo that the 
plant may at the fame time be near the glafs, to enjoy 
the full benefit of the fun, and have a fufficient depth of 
earth for the roots to fpread in. Having fpread a layer 
of earth three inches thick over the other parts of the 
bed to keep down the fleam of the dung, clofe the lights, 
and when the earth is warm put in the plants. This will 
be in a day or two. If then the mould appear to be too 
dry, give a little water towards the outfide, without 
wetting the plants much. Shut the lights, to draw up 
the heat about the roots, but raife them again afterwards 
to let out the fleam. 
6. Frefli air fliould be admitted at every opportunity 
in calm warm weather, by fetting up the lights behind 
from half an inch to two, three, and four, inches high, 
according to the quantity of fleam in the bed, and the 
temperature of the outward air. At firfl, this mult fiome- 
tiines be done in the evening, when the fleam is very 
abundant. Some perfons ufe a contrivance of leaden or 
tin bent pipes, communicating with the open air, and 
palling through the body of dung, to introduce warm 
air into the frames, when the weather will not admit of 
the lights being opened. At night the glaifes muft be 
covered with a (ingle or double mat, according to the 
feafon, being careful that the mats do not hang over the 
Tides of the frame and bed, which, by drawing up the 
2 
fleam and excluding the air too much, will caufe the 
plants to become weak and yellow. Water occafionally, 
when, the earth is dry : but all agree that melons can 
hardly have too little water, that the vines fliould never 
be wetted at firfl, and that little or no water fliould be 
given when the fruit is nearly full grown. If the earth 
be loamy, preffed down clofe, and not lefs than twelve 
or fifteen inches deep, the plants, after two or three wa¬ 
terings, to fettle their roots, will require very little 
more water afterwards: but if the earth be light, and of 
a lefs depth, occafional waterings will be requifite in 
warm weather; obferving that the water be foft and not 
cold, and that it be not given while the fruit is fetting, 
till it is of the fize of a large walnut. 
7. The firfl danger to the plants will be from over¬ 
heating. In this cafe, remove fome of the earth from 
the lower part of the hill, and if it be burned, put fome 
frefli earth in its place ; and when the burning fubfldes, 
replace the removed mould on the hill. This danger 
being over in a few days or a week, the heat muft then 
be retained as much as pollible, by laying dry long litter 
round the lides of the bed. And when the heat declines 
confiderably, it muft be revived by a fubftantial lining 
of hot dung, as above directed; at the fame time laying 
on frefli earth to keep the rancid fleam of the hot dung 
from injuring the plants. As the fibres of the plants 
advance, frefli warm mould mull be added gradually 
round the hills, till it is within an inch of the fame 
height with them. 
8. When the vines have advanced to fome length, difi- 
pofe them regularly, and fpread fome dry clean reeds 
over the beds thinly, for the vines to run upon ; this is 
better than covering the whole bed clofely with flat tiles, 
as is praftifed by fome. As the fruit lets, lay a piece 
of tile under each, and as it advances towards maturity, 
raife it on a brick to enjoy more of the fun and air, and 
turn it every three days. 
9. The fize and flavour of the fruit will depend much 
upon keeping up what is called a bottom heat, which is 
done by occafional linings of dung, fo late as the end 
of April, and the beginning and middle of May. The 
plants Ihould be occafionally fliaded in very hot days, 
when there is danger of their leaves being fcorched by 
the fun. When the leaves prefs againft the glades, the 
frame may be raifed at bottom three inches ; and, if 
they are much crowded, they may be thinned in pro¬ 
portion, fo as to admit the fruit to the full benefit of 
the fun and air. When the fruit is fet and advanced, if 
the vines are over-crowded, fmall runners and luxuriant 
(hoots may be cut off quite clofe, to encourage the free 
growth, and increafe the fize of the melons. In June, 
the vines filling the frames may be confined by pruning, 
or may be fuffered to run out on the top of the lining to 
produce fome late fruit, by railing up the frame for that 
purpofe. 
xo. The melon will profper in any rich pliable kitchen- 
garden earth, prepared fome months in a'heap; but it 
does belt in a fine mellow loam, fucli as Miller calls ha¬ 
zel loam, from the furface of a pafture or common, with 
one-third of rotten neat’s dung, or old hot-beds. Others 
prefer a ftronger foil, compoled of neat’s dung, virgin 
earth, and yellow fat marl, in equal proportions. Others 
again recommend the earth and dung to be reduced to a 
proper degree of lightnefs by coal alhes, fifted fine ; and 
the comport to be frequently wetted with fat pot-liquor 
and foap-fuds ; then laid in a ridge to dry, and about 
Chriftmas mixed with fome quick lime in powder. Some 
direft the compofl to be riddled very fine; whillt others 
forbid it to be fitted or lereened, and will have it only 
broken with the fpade. 
11. Some perfons are very nice about their water. Rain 
water is certainly to be preferred ; and, if hard water 
only can be had, it fliould Hand in the air fome time in 
an open velfel. It is a common practice to fet bottles of 
water into the frames a day before it is to be ufed, to 
water 
