January 31, 1891. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
345 
be given freely, in very dry weather twice a week, a 
good soaking on each occasion. "When the plants 
begin to throw up their flower spikes they are greatly 
helped by placing a handful of guano in a large can of 
water, and giving it to the plants, avoiding, however, 
pouring it against the stem. This should not be 
applied more than once a week, nor is it advisable to 
apply it more than four or five times if the soil be 
very rich at the commencement, as it may tend to 
cause the flowers to become coarse. Top-dress in May 
and early in July, and then add some short dung as a 
mulching. 
A good syringe daily in dry weather is of great 
advantage, doing it in the afternoon, and freely wetting 
both the upper and under sides of the leaves. Soft 
water exposed to the action of the sun is the best for 
syringing purposes. It refreshes the plants greatly, 
and keeps them clean ; while it reduces the chances of 
their being affected by the disease. 
I do not give a list of varieties because I do not know 
who may have those I might name. But any one who 
air in various parts, both of the Old and New "Worlds. 
Bokhara and Khiva are celebrated for their Melons, 
and so are Persia and India in a wider sense. Owing 
to the perishable nature of Melons, we can never be 
supplied with the fresh article in anything like quantity 
and certainly not in quality to render the cultivation of 
Melons superfluous or unnecessary in this country. 
Hence we must expect that the raising of seedlings by 
cross-breeding varieties will always be carried on in 
this country to a greater or less extent. One of the 
most recent that has been considered sufficiently 
distinct to merit recognition is Syon House Seedling, 
which was raised by Mr. G. Wythes, gardener to the 
Duke of Northumberland, and who was accorded an 
Award of Merit for it by the Fruit Committee of the 
Royal Horticultural Society, on the 7th of July last year. 
The fruit shown was of medium size, shortly globose- 
oblong, with a yellow skin when mature, closely netted 
all ov*er with grey. It is a scailet-fleshed variety of 
excellent flavour, and melting when in properly 
matured condition. Last year, one crop of it had just 
of black-fly, which was so destructive to Melon plants. 
He advised the soil being made firm, and three plants 
in a four-foot light. The flowers should be fertilized 
in the middle of the day when the pollen was dry, 
and the water for syringing should always be tepid, 
as cold water was sudden death to the plants. The 
plants, he advised, to be planted on the level, instead 
of on mounds as was often done, and only what soil 
was removed when planting to be drawn up round 
the stems, and in watering care must be taken to 
prevent this getting wet; by so doing this would pre¬ 
vent canker, that troublesome disease in Melon growing. 
The best varieties at the present time would be found 
amongst the white and green-fleshed varieties, in Hero 
of Lockinge, Imperial Green, Best of All, Monarch, 
Conqueror, Scarlet-flesh varieties in Scarlet Premier, 
Sutton’s Triumph, Blenheim Orange, and Reid’s 
Scarlet-flesh. In judging Melons he was in favour of 
the fruit being cut and judged by the flavour. He 
also treated on the various diseases the Melon was subject 
to, and the best means of overcoming them. 
Melon : The Ston House. 
makes a speciality of Hollyhocks, can supply a collection 
of good varieties worthy of the florist’s care. 
Prizes for cut blooms of Hollyhocks are still continued 
at some shows—such as Bath, Taunton, &c. But of 
late years the blooms have been very small, and scarcely 
worth the money awarded to them. Let us hope that 
the time is not iar distant when we shall witness an 
improvement in this respect.—A. D. 
-- 
MELON, SYON HOUSE 
SEEDLING-. 
It has been an accepted fact for many generations past, 
that Melons in this country, as well as anywhere else, 
are very liable to degenerate in time from seed ; hence 
the necessity for raising fresh varieties from time to 
time, and selecting those of best quality. The great 
difficulty we have to contend with, is the unsuitable 
nature of our climate, with its bad light, fog, and the 
want of sunshine to ripen and flavour the fruit. The 
Melon was originally a native of warm parts of 
Asia ; and according to De Candolle, of the districts 
south of the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea. At the 
present day Melons are grown extensively in the open 
been finished by the second week in August, and 
another crop of seedlings was well advanced by that 
time, in expectation of getting a second crop well 
forward before the dull and cloudy days of autumn 
set in. "We are indebted to Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, 
Chelsea, for an opportunity of illustrating the new 
variety in question. 
--— 
MELON CULTURE. 
This was the subject of a paper read at last week’s 
meeting of the Ealing Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement 
Society, by Mr. "VV. Palmer, Thames Ditton. 
Mr. Palmer said that since the introduction cf the 
Melon into England, about the year 1570, it had been 
considerably improved by the raising of new varieties, 
and at the present day there were plenty to choose 
from. He gave full directions for the successful 
raising of seedlings, and for the plants. When planted 
out in their permanent quarters, a stiff clayey loam 
was the best, but if of too heavy a nature, he would 
advise it being made lighter by the addition of leaf- 
soil, old mushroom-bed manure, and lime rubble ; this, 
he said, would to a certain extent prevont the ravages 
At the close of the reading of the paper an inter¬ 
esting discussion was raised on various points. Mr. 
Yiner asked the best means of getting rid of black-fly, 
and the best varieties to grow for early work. Mr. 
Edwards asked if there was any advantage in sowing 
old seed instead of new, as he often saw it stated that 
plants raised from old seed fruited freer than from new. 
Mr. Palmer said he did not think there was anything in 
tha\ Mr. A. Wright said that after listening to such 
a practical paper, it was a difficult matter to bring up 
anything that had not been fully treated, but he 
would like to ask Mr. Palmer if he knew of any single 
instance of sudden death to Melon plants after watering 
with cold water. He was no advocate cf warm water, 
as they ail knew, and after various experiments carried 
out, where there had been nothing to show in favour of. 
the warm water, he very much doubted if there was 
any. If we followed nature we should find as a general 
rule that rain was much colder than the atmosphere, 
and sometimes considerably colder. He also advised 
instead of the mounds being used as Mr. Palmer 
had recommended, that collars should be placed round 
the stem. It was a system which had much in its 
favour, to guard against any injury to the stem. 
