1870,] 
TWO GOOD MELONS.-VILLA GARDENING : SEPTEMBER. 
141 
much ground and in a comparatively short 
time, they were so abundant. In many cases 
I found three, four, and even five on one pea; 
they were, however, much quicker in getting 
out of the way than the fat wood-lice, and 
appeared more impatient of light. These light- 
coloured, almost white, centipede-like creatures 
may be at once recognised by their deeply-cleft 
segments, each of which bears two legs on each 
side; they are especially fragile even when 
living, but when dead and dry they can scarcely 
be touched without breaking. 
These are all contemporaneous destructives 
to the young peas, and, as I have said, an 
immense breadth of crop has been already 
sacrificed. Late sowings and half-plants are 
now the basis on which the general white and 
blue Pea crop of 1879 rests, and, speaking 
agriculturally, I must say that to all present 
appearance this is likely to be a very pre¬ 
carious one.— Edward A. Fitch, il7nWcw, 
Essex (in Entomologist^ for August, 1879). 
TWO GOOD MELONS. 
ASTNOE-Castle Melon. —After grow- 
J !j^ Melon alongside several other 
well-known varieties for four seasons, 
I have come to the conclusion that when the 
cultivator has command of plenty of top and 
bottom-heat, it is the best Melon I know. It 
is of a good size, the fruit growing from 3 lb. to 
C lb. each. It has a good appearance, being of 
a neat oval shape, is nicely but not heavily 
netted, and when well grown is of a most 
delicious flavour. We grow our main crops of 
Melons in slate troughs, 3 ft. long by 2 ft. wide 
and 18 in. deep. These are placed close over 
the pipes that run round the sides of our 
span-roofed Pine-stoves. The Melons are planted 
two in each trough, and trained up a trellis 
near the glass in the usual way. The soil we 
use is good, fresh loam from the limestone 
formation. We pack it well down when filling 
the troughs, and usually find that with care¬ 
ful watering, these troughs hold quite enough 
soil to produce heavy crops of Melons. I may 
mention that from our early batch this year, 
grown in six of the above-sized troughs, we cut 
102 lb. (one hundred and two) of Melon, nearly 
all of which was of the Eastnor Castle variety. 
Earl of Beaconsfield Melon. —We have 
grown a batch of the Earl of Beaconsfield 
Melon this season, and think it a promising 
variety, especially for amateurs and others who 
may not have convenience for growing tho 
more tender varieties which have more or less 
Persian blood in their veins, and consequently 
require a high average temperature to grow 
them at all satisfactorily. I find Lord Bea- 
consfield to be the freest-setting Melon I have 
come across. With us we had no difficulty in 
getting from five to seven fruit to go away 
together, and this up a trellis only 5 ft. in 
length. The fruit, when ripe, is not large, 
averaging about 2 lb. each, but it makes up for 
that by its free-bearing qualities. It is a green- 
fleshed variety, and when well ripened, of a 
good flavour. — H. J. Clayton, Grmston, 
Tadcaster. 
VILLA GARDENING. 
Srptembm 
E must indeed be an optimist who can 
say, with the poet,— 
“ 'Well does tlio autumn tlioso bright hopes 
fulfil, 
liaised in our hearts by the first look of 
spring. 
tVith lavish hand continues yet to fling 
A bounteous harvest, subjeot to our will.” 
A few days of bright sunshine, warmth, and 
drying winds led many to hope that summer 
had come at last, and that there was yet a 
good measure of enjoyment to be got out of the 
garden. This hope is again doomed to dis¬ 
appointment ; the rain has set in once more. 
Nature is sadly in arrears, and there is but 
slight chance of the balance being restored. 
Gardeners are longing for the end of the year ; 
that the drawbacks of the summer of 1879 
may be forgotten, its mistakes blotted out, and 
a fresh page of record turned of faith and hope 
for 1880. 
Greenhouse. —Tho enjoyment denied to the 
villa gardener in the outdoor-garden can be 
had, to some extent, in his greenhouse. It 
should be now the gayest floral-time of the 
year in this habitation for plants. Wo are 
finding some cut-back Alutilons very precious 
floral subjects ; they were late in starting into 
growth in spring, when they did so they were 
treated to a little stimulant in the way of 
Clay’s Fertiliser. They have put forth a good 
growth, and are now blooming freely. Ahntilon 
Daridnii tessellatum wdth its deep - green 
leaves marbled with golden - yellow and 
cinnabar - red flowers veined with crimson, 
is one of tho best, but the leaves do not 
in a cold house take on their variega¬ 
tion so soon as in a wanner atmosphere, 
Bo-ule de Neige., white ; Lemoinei, yellow; 
