248 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY 
correspondent's case as respects the slates on his border ? 
If these slates were firmly fixed in the border, and no 
interstices between them and the soil, I should expect 
the soil, say one or two inches beneath them, to be 
hotter during the day than soil at a similar depth below 
a common border. I should not expect it to be so hot 
as on the surface of the uncovered border. If the slates 
were merely laid on the border, and there were open 
spaces beneath them, so that the air played freely, or 
was even confined between the slate and the soil, then, 
however warm the slate, I should not expect much of 
that heat to get into the earth, as in the one case the 
channel of its conduction was broken off, and in the 
second case, in addition to that, there were channels of 
confined air, the best of all mediums for arresting the 
transmission of heat. 
From what has already been said our correspondent 
will also perceive that what he gains by such a dark 
surface during the day will be lost again by increased 
radiation of heat from that surface at night, unless 
means of protection are taken to arrest that radia¬ 
tion. When this is done we may find great benefit 
in black-coloured walls, and even without protection 
when the things cultivated require great heat during 
the day and no great reflection of light; but at pre¬ 
sent, unless these countervailing antidotes are at hand, 
we cannot gain much heat merely by using colours 
which absorb it most freely, as they radiate as freely. 
Such slates, in fine, will not answer the purpose of the 
concrete or the tar unless they are so put on as to 
exclude wet. 
With the exception of the border alluded to I have 
done little in the way of surface concreting. I should 
be glad if some of our experienced brethren would give 
us the results of their trials. My attention was first 
directed to it by noticing the wonderful fertility and the 
curbed luxuriance of fruit trees against houses, the soil 
on which the roots grew being completely flagged over. 
We have yet much to learn between fertility and 
luxuriance. There is a Cabbage plant we wish to pro¬ 
duce seed as soon as possible. Well, we make the 
ground hard about it to throw off even the rains, and 
this studied neglect forces the plant, in the struggle be¬ 
tween existence and starvation, to throw up its flower- 
stem for the continuance of the race. But in general 
we do not grow the Cabbage for its seed, but for its 
fleshy, succulent leaves, and therefore we stir the soil 
about it, that the rains may enter the soil, that we may 
water at pleasure, and thus the air may keep up those 
processes of decomposition in the soil of organised 
material, that the roots may absorb nourishing sub¬ 
stances ; and we continue this stirring in summer, that 
the soil may not become too hot, or be dried up by 
an unobstructed evaporation. It may one day be 
thoroughly seen that a midway path between the ex¬ 
tremes of the two Cabbages would suit most fruit trees. 
R. Fish. 
MELON CULTURE. 
Although it is somewhat late to chat about Melons, 
yet I have a sufficient apology in the fact that it is im¬ 
possible for any weekly periodical on gardening matters 
to offer simply articles specially adapted to the period 
when they appear. 
But there are those that cultivate late Melons who 
can enjoy a good Orion , a Snow's Green-jlesh, a Beech- 
wood , or a genteel and delicate Persian , as well in 
October and November as in June. When we take into 
consideration the length of time that the Melon can be 
had in perfection on the dessert table it will readily 
appear a most important affair, and, in point of utility, 
almost ranks with Grapes and Pines. Certainly not so 
many can eujoy the Melon as well as the Grape, and not 
---- 
GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, July 21, 1857. 
so frequently; but then, as to mere decorative matters, 
what an important addition to a fine dessert! How 
bold, imposing, and dignified a noble Melon appears! 
How distinctive in character ! 
Habits of Geowth in Melons. —All kinds do not 
grow precisely alike; yet there are quite sufficient points 
in common to generalise them. The common practice 
in frames or pits is to suffer the main shoots to extend 
nearly to the sides of the frame before pinching them. 
This is good practice. Now these leaders, if the plants 
be right, should forthwith push out lateral blossom- 
shoots, and the blooms being carefully impregnated the 
moment they appear, a flourishing crop should be the 
result; but when Melons are excited into a gross habit 
betimes, producing an invincible coarseness, these first 
laterals are not unfrequently barren, and when such 
is the case in a close frame no thorough success may 
be expected afterwards. These barren lateral shoots 
have to be pinched, and this produces such a host of 
shoots, and consequently foliage, that the whole speedily 
becomes confusion. There can be no doubt of the 
necessity of using such composts as will keep them 
moderate and of firm growth until the crop is set. This 
leads me to speak of soil in Melon culture. 
It is an old maxim with good gardeners to use a strong 
or adhesive loam in preference to soils of a light character 
or rich in humus. The experience of many years tells in 
favour of this practice—there cannot be room for doubt 
on the subject. I have certainly known good Melons pro¬ 
duced in pits where early Potatoes had been grown, in 
a compost of which one-lialf, at least, was rotten leaves ; 
but then such pits were roomy, and the immense de- j 
velopment of foliage which could be encouraged doubt- I 
less contributed to their success. Some of the best ! 
Melon growers I have ever known use the strongest and j 
most adhesive loams, and these tossed into the frame or ! 
pit iu a coarse state, and trod as firm as possible. And 
here I would direct the particular attention of the tyro 
in Melon culture to the difference between treading dry 
soils and those which are damp or wet. Our great ! 
Melon gardeners are not the men to use soils in a wet 
condition—certainly not to tread them. 
But one thing may be named as to the loamy soils of 
professed gardeners. They are veiy frequently turfy, j 
and turfy loam chopped rather coarsely may be trodden j 
in almost any condition. However, let me observe that 
if the loamy soil be coarse and pretty dry it may be 
trodden as hard as the feet can make it for Melons. 
What is wanted is an enduring root action, not one 
sudden and excessive. When such Melon soils can be 
obtained it is my firm opinion that there needs not a 
particle of manurial matter. If the loam is suspected 
of being hungry, why, a little old leaf soil would perhaps 
prove a benefit. Still let it be borne in mind that the 
power of the soil should be controlled by the capacity 
of the frame or pit as to area; it is of little use, nay, 
a positive damage, to provide an over-amount of nutri¬ 
ment. 
I will now offer a few observations on the character 
of the surrounding air in the Melon pit or frame. As 
to temperature, there is no doubt that the Melon re¬ 
quires one a little higher in the main than that com¬ 
monly allotted to the Cucumber, or at least it will not 
thrive in so low a one. Melons should never have less 
than 65°, and they will enjoy nearly 90° during sun¬ 
shine, provided the ventilation is liberal: 75° may be 
quoted as a favourite pitch with them in the daytime. 
Then, as to air moistdre, some persons have recom¬ 
mended a very dry condition of air; but they enjoy a 
liberal amount of air moisture from the planting out to 
the completion of their first swelling. After this there 
can be no doubt of their requiring a much drier con¬ 
dition of air, in order that the elaborative powers of the 
foliage may have fair play. The air may be kept in ^ 
