July 29. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
209 
ciled, and what compromise is necessary, if a pit must 
i be appropriated to them. 
Heat. —Strawberries do not require much heat—nay, 
l will not endure it. A temperature commencing with 
their first introduction to heat of 50°, advancing by easy 
gradations to 65° when in blossom, and until they begin 
to colour, suits them best; and if they can be lowered 
during colouring to 55° or 60°, by abundance of air, so 
much the better for their colour and flavour. 
Atmospheric Moisture. —Strawberries love a liberal 
amount through all tho stages of forcing—least when 
ripening; not, however, what is termed steaming, but a 
steady and permanent supply. 
Ventilation. —No in-door fruit requires a more liberal 
airing than this; it may be almost affirmed that the 
success will in a great degree be commensurate with the 
amount and frequency of the ventilation, provided the 
necessary warmth and air moisture can be sustained. 
Light. —Although a considerable amount of light— 
or, in other words, a somewhat light situation—suits the 
strawberry, yet it must not be considered as requiring 
that intensity which the melon needs. Indeed, during 
the earlier stages—the expansion of the foliage and the 
development of the blossom—it is customary to assign 
them a subordinate position in this respect. 
So far the strawberry as to the four elements—the 
means to the end in view; let us now examine the 
Melon by the same standard. 
Heat. —Here we have the very converse of the straw¬ 
berry. Too much heat, in the gardening sense of the 
word, can hardly be accorded to the melon, provided 
light and air-moisture keep pace with it. The melon 
will enjoy, thus situated, 95° unscathed, and, indeed, 
must, under all circumstances, have 70° available, the 
only exception being during ripening, when a higher 
flavour is secured by suffering it to be reduced to 00° 
and 05° by liberal ventilation. 
Atmospheric Moisture. —Although the melon at certain 
periods—such as “ swelling off”—enjoys a considerable 
amount, yet a constant jealousy is requisite, especially 
during dull and damp periods, in order to secure it from 
a gangrenous tendency. 
Light. —It is scarcely possible for the light to be too 
bright for the melon, provided a powerful root action 
is sustained. There are periods when a slight shading 
is beneficial, such as during the early part of the swelling 
period, and after a “run” of bright weather; but such 
is quite an exception to the rule. 
Ventilation. —There are three distinct periods in the 
life of a melon, each characterized by some peculiarity 
of treatment; for instance, the growth and setting pe¬ 
riod, the swelling period, and the ripening period. The 
first and last demand a most liberal ventilation; the 
middle period a very moderate degree. Thus stands 
the case, then, as to these two crops; and in order to 
carry out the melon culture, which runs to greater ex¬ 
tremes, in point of heat and light at least, it is plain 
means must he placed within the reach of the culti- 
i vator beyond the needs of the strawberry. An analysis 
of the case will be as follows:— 
Degree of Air, T . , . Ventila - 
Heat, Moisture, s ‘ tion. 
Melon .... maximum I medium I maximum I medium 
, Strawberry medium | maximum | medium | maximum 
The result will be, that to use a pit or house for these 
two crops, a maximum amount of the four elements 
must be provided. However, as the melons are, of 
course, succession crops, and produced when the sun is 
gaining some power, less heating apparatus becomes 
necessary than for early work. This is merely presuming 
that the cultivator has made up his mind always to 
employ this pit the same way. It may be observed, too, 
that during the time the strawberries occupy the pit, 
which will be from December to April, some use might 
possibly be made of the space overhead, especially if it 
is a roomy pit or a small house. Thus : suppose a low 
house or pit, possessing a back walk thirty inches wide, 
and an interior pit, chambered, of six feet, with a mode¬ 
rate pitch of roof, and the surface of the interior pit 
about three feet from the roof, and parallel with it, here 
would be a useful thing for the purpose. There might 
be a back shelf of nearly twenty inches for kidney beans 
or cucumbers; and as the heat for the strawberries 
would not warrant a beginning with the latter crops 
until February, the shelf might be occupied with straw¬ 
berries, bedding plants for propagation, bulbs, or various 
pot plants, until the cucumbers in boxes, or kidney beans, 
were set to work; and, ultimately, the house or pit would 
be engaged for melons and cucumbers all the summer. 
A pit for such a mixed purpose would require a flow 
and return pipe in front, and a pipe-tank or other source 
of bottom-heat in the pit; the latter being chambered, 
with sliders in the back wall of the interior pit, to sutler 
surplus heat and air-moisture to escape into the house 
when necessary, and to spare. The pit should have 
sliding front sashes, for most of the ventilation would 
have to be carried out there, and a canvass shade applied 
occasionally over the back walk, in order to supersede 
the necessity of giving much air over the cucumbers; 
still, however, providing a few sliding ventilators in the 
outer back wall, within a few inches of the very apex, to 
resort to in time of need. In such a house or pit, the 
objects described might be carried out in style, and, in¬ 
deed, the pit would be capable of a variety of other 
purposes. But the modes by which such objects may be 
carried out are indeed various, and ought at all times to 
be ruled in some degree by the circumstances of the 
establishment, more especially by the consideration of 
the question, whether such will form a necessary portion 
of the whole gardening system; for there is more 
blundering and bungling in this portion of gardening 
economics than in anything extant. Our readers will, 
we trust, excuse the tedium of following out this subject 
somewhat analytically, but we do think this by far the 
best course with regard to the question of structures for 
mixed purposes; for to set out with ill-defined objects is 
assiwedly a false economy, and almost sure to end in 
futility and disappointment. 
Persons about making changes, and extending their 
glazed structures, should at once take into serious con¬ 
sideration the character of those already available; and 
see whether by well-digested schemes they can perform 
a sort of horticultural revolution, without damage to the 
state ; nay, with immense advantages. We are certainly 
no friends to the reformer, who, whilst brushing away 
the cobwebs, the accumulation of years, with itching and 
undistinguishing hand brushes away tea-cups and 
saucers; yea, the very fixtures of the fine old mansion. 
This, however, is no solid reason why a man should 
turn coward over his affairs, and for fear of doing wrong 
be not able to do right. 
We repeat, that every one should aim at a system in 
his glazed structures, which should in every establish¬ 
ment resemble those geographical puzzles, in which, if 
you derange one portion, the whole world is out of joint. 
In no department of horticulture is there more room for 
reform than in this, and more sound advice is needed 
on this point than perhaps any other. Persons about 
to make changes this way, should call in a first-rate real 
practical —one with whitened chin. They should at 
once draw up a set of objects distinctly specified, and 
after showing this “ king of spades,” their existing glass, 
require him to chalk out a system at once complete and 
economical. 
We shall feel a pleasure in returning to such subjects 
when occasion serves, feeling assured that it will sub¬ 
serve the purpose of many of the readers of the far- 
travelling, but never weary, Cottage Gardener. 
R. Errjngton. 
