72 
A KITCHEN GARDEN 
the small and low-growing weeds to rot off. While 
the vines are still small, it will be necessary to dust 
them every few mornings with road dnst, soot, plas¬ 
ter or sing shot, to destroy the flies and striped bugs 
that infest them. When healthy young vines sud¬ 
denly wilt and droop in the hot sun without appa¬ 
rent cause, dig around the root of the plant with the 
fingers or a stick until the grub is found which has 
cut the plant off underground. He should be 
searched for and “made an example of” as soon as 
the first vine is discovered to be flagging, or he will 
proceed to eat the whole hill. 
VARIETIES OF MUSK MELONS. 
Burpee’s Netted Gem. —The finest as well as the 
earliest of all the small-fruited varieties that I have 
tried, and where a variety of melons is not particu¬ 
larly desired, it will furnish a generous supply of fine- 
flavored fruit from the first ripening until killed by 
frost. It is a very good keeper, retaining its good 
quality for nearly a week after picking, if kept in a 
cool cellar. This is often a valuable characteristic 
in the latter part of summer, as several warm days 
furnish two or three baskets in the cellar, which keep 
up the supply if the warm spell is followed by cool 
or cloudy days, when the melons on the vines do 
not ripen readily. This variety is thickly netted, 
the meat is thick and solid, and they run as even in 
shape and symmetry as a set of croquet balls, which 
they also resemble in point of size. 
Emerald Gem. —This variety has the small size 
