38 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
September 19, 1885. 
Scottish Gardening, 
_, ♦ n _ 
Notes on Melon Culture. —Judging from the 
quantities of Melons which are grown in gardens, it is 
evident that this very useful fruit is more extensively 
cultivated than it was some years ago. During the 
last two years we have seen some very successful Melon 
culture, and while Melon houses are more numerous 
now then they used to be, we have seen excellent fruit 
grown in frames, plant protectors, and in ordinary low 
pits, and in the latter with little or no artificial heat. 
While we believe in having a full command of heating 
power in all structures where exotic and tropical plants 
especially of any kind are grown, it often appears to 
us that the heating power is sometimes abused. 
Draughts of front air, and a fierce fire heat going at 
the same time are some of the evils most prejudieal to 
forcing, either fruits, flowers, or vegetables. When 
fruit is ripening, with the leaves hard and firm, they are 
capable of resisting injury in a manner that tender 
young foliage cannot do. Front air can then be given 
with less caution or dread of injury. Fire heat and 
cold air entering structures at the same time, are fertile 
causes of destruction to plant life. It gives cause for 
surprise to many why such unnoticeable practices should 
be so prevalent, while common sense suggests that they 
are antagonistic to sound reasoning. 
We do not know any plants which are more suscep¬ 
tible of injury from such untoward treatment than 
Melons. This is, however, very different from the Melon 
plants which are prepared, planted out, and grown on 
the safe “old school” system, which allowed a mini¬ 
mum of heat and a maximum of air, as compared with 
the expeditious practice so common with some modem 
cultivators. There is such a multiplicity of methods 
adopted to grow Melons, that it is difficult for amaterus 
or young beginners to learn a general system from 
reading works on Melon culture. Circumstances very 
often have to dictate the course of procedure ; some 
have most efficient means to grow early, mid-season, 
and late supplies, and others can only do the latter. 
The first fruit we consider from the beginning of April 
to the end of May. The second from the first of June 
to the end of July, and the third from the first of 
August to December. There are several classes of 
Melons which should be chosen for early supplies, 
amongst which may be named, Beechwood, Golden 
Perfection, and Davenham Early, an early kind which 
was raised at Davenham Bank, near Malvern, a well 
managed place where we have seen very fine early crops. 
There are some of the scarlet-fleshed kinds which are 
very easily grown, and come in remarkably early with 
very moderate forcing, but many of the kinds familiar 
to us in our youth have disappeared from cultivation, 
and they have not been supplemented by others of 
superior merit. Melons too, like Potatos have been 
swept out of existence by the disease too well-known 
in many parts, and which has given rise to so much 
difficulty and vexation to many a clever cultivator, 
whose most ingenious inventions have failed to combat 
the enemy, which has often devastated many a well filled 
Melon structure. 
“We do not refer to the disease which attacks the 
stem at the collar immediately above the soil, but that 
which we think emanates from an attack on the roots, 
which become knotty, and cease to perform their func¬ 
tions. The leaves become blotchy, as if scorching had 
taken place ; and often, before the crop is well set, 
suddenly collapse. We have noticed the worst eases, 
when the plants have been extra vigorous, and in what 
would be considered first-rate condition. Examples 
of the disease have developed before the foliage was 
well formed. In some districts it has never appeared, 
while in others it often has been so prevalent, that 
growers have become discouraged, and have ceased 
to cultivate Melons. The system of culture which 
wo have seen resist this disease most, has been by 
planting and fruiting the plants in pots, or con¬ 
fining them in narrow brick beds, so that the soil 
becomes a mass of fibre, wiry and tough like thread, 
depending a good deal for support from applications of 
liquid manure, or small surfaeings of artificial manure 
well incorporated with a small portion of healthy loam 
pressed firmly on the surface of the pots. Charcoal is 
invaluable for root formation, and, we think, an excel¬ 
lent antidote to disease. 
Though we never at any time suffered much from 
this, we have not been quite exempt from it. While 
we write, we can see traces of its work, am} believe 
that if the roots could ramble out into deep soil, and 
form large corpulent feeders (instead of being confined 
in a trough of solid loam, with some vine manure in 
it), the disease would do irreparable mischief. Last 
year, in our Melon house, as well as in pits and frames, 
the disease became very prevalent, and gave much 
trouble. Rather dry airy treatment warded off its 
power of totally destroying the foliage. TV hen there 
are not plenty of healthy leaves on the plant till the 
fruit is ripe— or at least changing to ripeness— Melons 
are nauseous, and worse than useless. TV e fear there 
is a deal of this defoliating of the plants, by some 
cause or other, before the fruit has approached near 
enough to ripeness. We write, advisedly, as when 
judging at exhibitions, we can often with difficulty 
find out enough of specimens which are worthy of the 
prizes offered. A tasteless Melon, though ever so beau¬ 
tiful, is one of the most useless of vegetable productions. 
Odour, is said by some, to guide the senses when 
Melons are being judged ; but we never at any time 
could accept this as really sound practice. Often has 
a delightful odour been supplemented by abominable 
flavour. Some kinds which have a thin but hard 
leathery rind, do not emit (but very sparsely) any 
aroma. We have witnessed more of this lately than 
usual. Another argument against the non-cutting 
practice is, that scarlet fruits are often exhibited for 
green-fleshed, and vice versa; such caunot be deter¬ 
mined without the use of the knife. Some kinds have 
very thin skins, with a great depth of juicy flesh, and 
little or no core in them ; these are items of great 
moment while the judging is under weigh. 
We read of success this season in some parts of 
England, where Melons have been grown in un-heated 
structures. In such warm seasons (in the south) as the 
past has been, such structures are the most suitable of 
all for mid-season crops, aud up to the present time. 
Among the best looking and finest flavoured Melons 
which we have ever seen or tasted, were grown in the 
same district referred to. Just after the crops of early 
Potatos had been lifted, the ground was trodden hard 
and strong plants planted in May and June, watered, 
and kept close for a few days, till growth was astir, 
then the ordinary treatment was given, and capital 
crops matured with sun heat, and with no more trouble 
than one would give to ordinary Vegetable Marrows. 
Last season, here, Melons were excellent, which were 
matured in pits without either top or bottom heat ; 
they were planted after late forced Asparagus and 
Potatos, only adding a little more soil, and treading 
the surface firm ; then mulching firmly with old mush¬ 
room-bed manure after the fruit was set, to keep in 
moisture, and save applications of water. At the present 
time, a number of fair fruit are nearly fully swelled iu 
a common frame, which has had no bottom heat in 
it since April; judicious airing, watering, and husband¬ 
ing of sun-heat, does a deal in the absence of artificial 
heat. 
Notwithstanding all the new names which have 
been given to what are said to be new Melons (and 
there have been really some good acquisitions made of 
late years), some of the old kinds of probably more 
than half a century’s fame, are good ones at the present 
time, and wherever they are still in stock, the seed 
should be carefully saved and well managed. Those 
old hands who retain such kinds, are all good Melon 
growers. No Melons which we meet with can surpass 
them —The old Beechwood, Bromham Hall, and Golden 
Perfection, will compete with any Melons which we 
have tasted on exhibition tables, or elsewhere. It has 
sometimes seemed to us, that some of our old friends 
who have always enjoyed peculiar immunity from 
disease, could attribute their success to the system of 
cultivation that they pursued, and the retaining of 
kinds which have strong hardy constitutions. We can 
referto the management of aremarkably successful neigh¬ 
bour, who has laboured for many years in the capacity of 
gardener and forester. For two seasons we have gone ex¬ 
pressly to see his Melons ; it cannot be said that he culti¬ 
vates early Melons, for his means for raising plants are 
not well-suited. He has some plant protectors raised on a 
low brick wall, inside, a hot-water pipe runs round 
each, some leaves are trodden inside, and in the centre 
of the lights a pair of plants are placed, and an average 
of half-a-dozen, or more, large fruits, are ripened and 
cut from each light. The protectors are only about 4 
ft. wide, they are probably less ; the foliage, strength 
of stems, health and cleanness, is such as we never saw 
surpassed. The kinds grown, are, probably five or six, 
and simply named after the style of the fruits. We 
noticed, that little syringing, if any, is given, and not 
much damping of soil, except at watering time, when 
the roots have their supplies. Air is given early, and 
not taken off till danger from scorching is past, and 
evidently, an abundance of air is allowed during the 
day. 
For many years we have grown Melons in pots, by 
placing a good sized pot on firm soil, and in this one half 
plunged the pots in which the Melons were growing, 
with plenty of room at the bottom for emission of roots. 
This plan has given us often supplies of fruit (both as 
to quantity and flavour) superior to any method we 
ever tried, and on no occasion have we seen disease of 
any kind under such a sj'stem. The cankering at the 
collar of melons generally arises from the same cause as 
canker at the collars of Heaths, Laehenalias, Daphnes, 
and many other plants, viz. : giving moisture freely on 
the surface and round the stems, while the main roots 
down in the soil were suffering from the absence of 
moisture. At Dunkekl, we lately observed a good contri¬ 
vance forpreventing the collars of Melon plants damping, 
tiles of circular shape, with holes in their centres, 
through which the melons (from their early stages of 
growth) are trained and bevelled, so that moisture is 
thrown off the stems, and no canker can attack them 
from damp at the stems. The crops of Melons, in 
various stages, at Dunkeld were very heavy, and the 
foliage good, likely to finish all the fruit in prime con¬ 
dition. 
We might epitomise freely on numerous examples of 
Melon growing, most creditable to the cultivators, but 
to none could we consistently give greater credit than 
to our friend who gives so much satisfaction, by the fine 
supplies of fruit (sent to his employer’s table), cut from 
simple plant protectors of the most unpretending 
description, such as we have already described, and 
probabfy this veteran (Mr. Mathieson, Kinnaird House, 
Stirlingshire) has had suchuniform successfor more than 
half a century. We have known many of the same 
school of cultivators, who have grown their Melons by 
similar means, and never failed in growing abundance 
of fine fruit, and disease (such as has given so much 
vexation to many of the best cultivators in the country) 
was never known. In the case of “ old school ” practice 
coddling is avoided, and there is no hard driving which 
is more haste than good speed. —J/. T. 
-- 
CAMELLIAS. 
Previous to arranging Camellias for the winter they 
should be gone through and thoroughly cleansed. 
Scale is usually the most' troublesome of insects that 
infest the Camellias, and where it has once got fairly 
established, it is very difficult to eradicate, but with 
care they may be kept down, and eventually eradicated, 
if constant attention is paid to them. In commencing 
operations, some insecticide should be prepared, and 
this may be a little stronger than is used for most other 
plants. A small brush is the best thing to use for the 
stems, leaf-stalks, &c., aud this should be stiff enough 
to remove the scale, and the leaves should be washed 
with a sponge. After the plants have been gone over 
once, they should have a good syringing, and then be 
examined again to see that all the insects have been 
removed. Where the buds have set thickly, they 
should be thinned out before they begin to swell much. 
Potting. — There is some diversity of opinion with 
regard to the best season of the year for re-potting, 
some recommend the spring, after the plants have done 
flowering, but as the plants usually begin to start into 
growth almost before they have done flowering, and as 
disturbing the roots at that period is sure to retard 
the growth of the plants to some extent, we prefer re¬ 
potting in the autumn, after the buds are set, but 
before they begin to swell much, the plants will then 
have time to get well rooted into the new soil, and will 
therefore make more vigorous growth, than if disturbed 
just at the time when they are starting into growth. 
The compost for potting should consist of good fibrous 
loam and peat in equal parts, a liberal addition of cow- 
manure that has been previously dried, and then rubbed 
through a half-inch sieve, and a good sprinkling of 
sharp saud. The pots should be well drained, and the 
plants potted firmly. 
After the plants have been potted, they must have 
careful attention with regard to watering ; if the balls 
