I 
302 TIIE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTliY 
suitably prefatory to a short notice we now purpose 
giving of the position and proceedings of that society 
at tinj present time. 
We allude more particularly to the annual show of 
live stock, implements, poultry, &c., and trial of reap¬ 
ing machines and other implements, which this year 
took place at Wigan, on Wednesday and Thursday, 
the Oth and 7th of August. The prizes were very 
numerous, and opeu to all, and the Judges were this 
year empowered to award not less than .£?00. A con¬ 
siderable portion of that sum consisted of special prizes 
offered by a local committee at Wigan, who have praise¬ 
worthily exerted themselves on behalf of the Society, and 
who havo been liberally assisted with handsome dona¬ 
tions hy the inhabitants and landowners of that town 
and neighbourhood. Among the special prizes “opeu 
to the united kingdom” were four of T25 each for bulls 
and horses, large prizes for pigs, 13 silver cups for 
j poultry, and, besides, many prizes for implements of 
different kinds ; there was one for the “ best collection,’ 
and another of T'15 for the reaping machine “which, 
on trial (on the Oth of August), was considered the 
best." 
] Wo bad great pleasure in witnessing the trial of imple¬ 
ments—the manifestation of their merits, and demon- 
J stratiou of their defects. For our own part, wo believe 
that the progress of agriculture depends greatly upon 
the extended use aud improvement of machinery, and 
| upon exhibitions of this kind. The one we are speak¬ 
ing of took place on a field belonging to the Earl of 
Crawford and Balcarres, the use of which was kindly 
j afforded for the occasion. 
The show yard was not less than five acres of a large 
j plot of grass land, called the “ Meshes,” close to the 
■ town, and contiguous to the railway station. Several 
| of the principal railway companies in the district con¬ 
sented to convey live stock, implements, &c , free of 
charge from the show, if carriage was paid to it. The 
usual dinner took place in the Public Hall, on the day 
of show, at five o’clock p.m., under the presidency of 
Colonel the Hon. James Lindsay, one of the members 
for Wigan .—(Liverpool Mercury.) 
MELON CULTURE AND FAILURE. 
Notwithstanding that Melons have been grown in 
Eugland for a great many years, it is uot the less true that 
failures in trying to produce them are as common now 
as at the end of the last century. One thing may he 
said, that more fruit is now grown than formerly, and 
attempts are made, and often successful, too, with meaus 
more imperfect than would have been thought of then ; 
still, the fact cannot he blinked that failures often do 
take place even when adequate means are at hand. So 
many contingencies all bearing that way, and so simple 
an act of neglect often destroying all that care and skill 
has accomplished, a failure in Melons is not by any 
means an uncommon event even amongst those who 
have had much experience; aud a case which, no doubt, 
has many parallels, has been handed to me, which I 
cannot do better than give in the words of the writer, 
as they are expressive enough of what is the matter. 
Our correspondent says, “ I planted fourteen Melons 
in April last in a pit built on purpose for them, with 
top and bottom heat from hot water pipes ; the soil was 
j carefully selected, aud the plants grew vigorously. In 
a short time the Red Spider attacked the leaves, and my 
gardener syringed the pipes with brimstone and water. 
He, however, did not give air early enough, and the 
whole of the leaves, or nearly so, were scorched by the 
sun. This was to he expected; but in due time the 
Melon plants threw out fresh leaves, and are now 
showing good, healthy-looking fruit iu great abundance; 
GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.— Avgust 12, 1856. 
hut they all turn yellow a few days after setting, and 
only two have yet swelled off’. Now, I want to know 
whether this failure can he caused hy the original 1 
disaster? or whether there is any other way of accounting- j 
for it? The bottom heat is steady, at about 80'-', and \ 
the top-heat varies from that upwards with the sun. 1 
am the moro anxious to have this matter settled, as it is ! 
my first experiment in growing Melons in this manner.” 
Now, this is a case far from uncommon, and deserves 
every attention; and although it will be impossible now 
to obtain that healthy crop of fruit which might have 
been expected at the commencement of the season, still, 
it is possible something may be done. But to the ease. 
Our correspondent says, that the pipes were syringed ; 
with brimstone and water to kill tho Red Spider, and i 
that air was not given early enough next day. Alas! the 
Melon is a plant of so delicate a nature as to be unable 
to withstand the attack of anything in the shape of insects 
or disease without being very much injured, if uot com¬ 
pletely killed. Being an annual plant from a tropical 
region, whore its successful culture is performed under 
a cloudless sun, aud in the early part of its growth 
accompanied with much moisture, there is reason to 
supposo that towards the ripening of its fruit Red 
Spider may attack it, hut not so early as to prevent the 
proper maturing of the fruit. Now, this is very often 
tho case with us. Red Spider appears when the fruit is 
ripening, very often in hot, dry weather, when, for other 
reasons, it is not prudent to water the plants, and the 
consequence is, that the latest ones are, perhaps, not so 
good as they ought to he. But our correspondent’s 
plants were attacked with it before the fruit showed 
itself; aud though lie says that air was not given early 
enough after the severe remedy had been applied, 1 am 
far from thinking that was the sole cause. After an attack 
of Red Spider, the leaves so injured are no longer of 
any use; and supposing there had been a dull day or 
two before the sulphuring operation, and a bright, 
sunny oue the day after, it is likely the results he 
complains of w-ould have happened even if air had been 
given very early, the delicate constitution of the plant 
being ill able to endure such a misfortune and its 
antidote; for I may here observe, that the aim of all 
Melon growers ought to be to keep all insects and 
disease away, rather than trust to their skill iu curing 
them; and to accomplish that, they ought not to 
introduce anything into the Melon-pit that is at all 
likely to infect the legitimate occupants of the place, 
which very little sometimes will do. A pot of cuttings of 
some plant which it is desirable to increase is sometimes, 
the cause, and, in other cases, want of care in allowing 
cold draughts to succeed a hot, parched atmosphere. 
Some growers are not sufficieutly careful in doing the 
necessary work of earthing-up, stopping and training 
the vines, &c., at the most suitable time, and iu the 
most expeditious way, and the consequence is, that the 
plants get a chill, and insects, or disease, soon follow, 
and the results complained of above arrest the future 
progress of the plants. On the other hand, a lack of 
heat, or a superabundance of it, will accomplish the 
same thing, the conditions being the same. A departure 
from the proper course, which practice has confirmed, 
this plant is unable to endure, as very sudden changes, 
as well as a too high or too low temperature, aid all 
alike death to the Melon. But as our correspondent 
says that his plants grew again aud showed fruit, 
which drop alter setting, we may follow his case out. 
Although a very lucid description is given of the case, 
it is difficult to understand all without being on the 
spot. Most likely the plants were cut back after the 
Red Spider misfortune, leaving, however, some of the 
healthiest of the foliage, aud a week after growth took 
place, the leaves smallor thau before ; then, in order to 
keep down the insect, which, probably, yet lurks in the 
