I 
TltE COTTAGE GARDEN EH AND COUNTRY 
old leaves, water is frequently applied, and a rank, close 
growth of small vine encumbers the bed or trellis on 
which they grow. This is generally tho case, and the 
lack of IVuit increases the growing powers of the plant. 
The only way to cure this evil is to thin the shoots 
very much the first dull, warm day, or, if the weather 
be settled, warm, and sunny, let it he done some after¬ 
noon; and if the leaves of those remaining have not 
regained the proper position by morning, let them be 
shaded a while. Besides thinning the sho its, stop those 
that are left, by nipping their ends oil' with the finger 
and thumb, and for a day or two abstain from watering 
them, and the probabilities are, that a sufficient quantity 
will be set for a crop, after which syringe and water as 
required, and after a good crop has once set and begun 
swelling, the plants do not produce so much small spray ; 
but every care must be taken by tho cultivator to secure 
the health of the large leaves of the main Vines, which 
can only be done by keeping insects away, and not 
by attempts at curing it when attacked, as in this case, 
oven more than in others, “ prevention is better than 
cure.” 
In pits or houses heated by hot-water there is a 
much better chance of preventing lied Spider making 
way than in the old-fashioned dung-bed, where the Vine 
lies on the soil; for in the latter case there is some 
difficulty in wetting the under-side of the leaves, which 
can easily be done when the plants are trained on a 
trellis, under which tho syringe can play. At the same 
time, let it bo fully observed, that without the use of 
such trellis, and with tho plants spreading over the soil 
of the bed, there is more danger from Red Spider in a 
hot-water-heated structure than in one of fermented 
materials, as the atmosphere is more arid, and, con¬ 
sequently, more favourable to the production of this 
fruit. If our correspondent's pit be of the latter descrip¬ 
tion, let him try aud alter it before another season, and 
the chances are that he will be successful. 
In settled, bright, sunny weather Melons make rapid 
progress either one way or the other; if incurable 
disease have attacked them, they are speedily rendered 
useless; if, on the other hand, they are healthy and 
fruitful, the fruit swell off and ripen in good condition; 
in fact, dry, hot weather is kill or cure to the Melon. 
Soil is also of much importance; and the best for that 
purpose is certainly not such as the plant grower would 
like for polling purposes; and it is not unlikely that our 
correspondent has fallen into error on this head. In a 
general way, a stiff soil, and rather lumpy, is best for 
Melons, such a one, for instance, as would grow good 
Wheat or Beans, a strong, sound, loamy soil, not poor 
by previous over cropping, neither gross by enriching 
manures. But I have tried Melons with a fair share of 
success in extreme soils, as an almost impenetrable clay, 
or light, sandy loam; but, of course, extremes are 
rarely successful, the best being a medium, but rather 
approaching to stiffness. In this, the plant is not, so 
likely to run to useless vine, and more likely to bear 
fruit than a rank, gross-habited oue. 
Much more might be added on Melon culture, but as 
the season is now so far advanced it is unnecessary 
to say more, except that the amateur who has gathered 
one crop from healthy plants growing in a hot water- 
heated pit may have another crop by partially cut¬ 
ting the plants back, and attending to them again as 
before. The process of setting is easily accomplished 
tliis time ; the only difficulty is to keep insects and 
disease at bay. Other conditions being favourable, a 
second crop of Melons is often as good as the first, 
and some have talked of a third ; but in this latter ease 
it is more like a succession of fruits than distinct crops; 
aud though we now and then see Melons bearing in 
succession, it is not always so, and it is seldom that tlioy 
do well, the first fruits starving tho succeeding ones. 
GENTLEMAN'S COMTANION.— August 12, i860. 3£>;i 
For my part, I like to see all that it is prudent for one 
plant to bear set and start off together like race-horses, 
and the result is generally a crop of fine, useful fruit. 
J. Rohson. 
ECONOMICAL COLD TITS. 
A good while ago I recollect one of our worthy instruc¬ 
tors, in describing a visit ho had paid to a friend, men¬ 
tioned a cheap contrivance in the way of cold pits, made 
with turf, and covered with calico. Now, these cold pits I 
had made up my mind about some time before I saw the 
above paper. I knew I could make them myself at very 
little cost; hut about the covering I was in a “ fix.” Frames 
made for glass would cost more than I could venture to 
suggest, to say nothing about the glass itself; and strained 
calico I had tried on a small scale over boxes, and some¬ 
times 1 would think it might answer; theD, again, I fancied 
the plants did not thrive, and it would not do. Neither did 
it do over boxes that were not over air-tight; and in the 
month of April, annuals just pricked out did look chilled. 
But when I read tho above account, on the faith of its 
author I put aside all doubt on the matter; and my only 
thought was what length and breadth I should have. Then, 
to lay aside every bit of stuff that was likely to be useful, 1 
liad tbe plan all drawn out—not on paper—in my eye ; then 
got all the materials I thought would be necessary, and at 
hand, before I began it, as I do not like the plan of doing a 
bit to day, then a hit to-morrow, and so on for weeks (as 
many people would say), as I have time, because I knew 
the thing would become distasteful to the Doctor before he 
could see what I was about. Therefore I had my posts all 
up and ready for the covers before the Doctor saw them or 
knew anything about them, and free from any expense ex¬ 
cept the labour. The size, as under, inside measure, twelve 
feet and five feet; two feet ten inches in depth at the back; 
two feet in front; ten inches below the surface, which I dug 
out first. I then drove in Spruce piles at the four corners, 
and, as I intended to make three compartments, I put four 
more strong ones for the sash-pieces to rest upon. My 
turves being at hand, I began laying them down on the 
outside, level with the ground outside. And as I began the 
ends and front first, during which a thought came across my 
mind that, in wet aud damp weather, the grass in front 
would make it unpleasant to lean against while attending to 
the plants inside; and having a few laths hy me, I nailed 
them to the piles, and plastered them with a mixture of clay 
and cow-dung, which answers very well. I nailed a strip of 
half-inch board, three inches wide, for the sashes to rest 
upon, and let it just lap over the turf, to carry off the rain, 
and I find it keeps the inside dry. I also nailed some 
laths to the inside of the piles at the back; then filled up 
the space with fine coal ashes worked in hard with a stick, 
which makes this part from six to seven inches thick, and 
as soon as I get them empty I shall serve the ends and 
front the same, or, what is better, some slates up on end, 
and filled up with ashes; then with a good coat at the 
bottom, 1 hope to be able to keep them pretty free from 
slugs and worms. 
Having proceeded thus far, I had t^pme to the pocket; 
therefore, 1 had to bring tlie matter lietore tbe Doctor, or, as 
the fact was, bring the Doctor before the pits, for the means 
to make a finish of them, which was readily granted. The 
sashes are of clean pine; the sides two inches, tho ends 
two inches and three quarters, one inch and a quarter thick, 
with a strip up the middle of each an inch wide. I had 
them a little longer than the pits to carry the rain off. The 
calico is a kind of twilled, and is tacked just on the edges of 
the sash, for this reason. In the winter 1 cover them with 
thatched hurdles, made to size, one for each pit. Now, in 
putting these hurdles off or on, one would run a great risk 
of tearing the calico; therefore, to prevent that, I reverse 
the calico covers, which leaves a space between them and 
the hurdles the thickness of the frames, and they will slide 
up or down without injuring the calico, so that light and air 
can be given, without taking the hurdles oft', it' needed. 
Now, with the aid of these pits 1 have kept such a 
stock of old plants mid cuttings during the past winter, that 
it would have been madness to have attempted without 
them. On the night of the 21st of December last we had 
