The Englijh Gardner. 99 
loch a Bed; but if you find it too weak,you mud providean- , 
other Bed to prick your Plants upon when they a re ready: con- 
fider that a fine moderate warmth is far better and more natu¬ 
ral than extream heat: ftill remember that as you raifeyour 
Plants, fo you muft look to keep and maintain them ufiially 
two or three days after your Bed is come to its heat 5 the dan¬ 
ger of burning your Plants at the Root will be over, except 
your Bed having good ftrength, chance to take a little moi- 
fture by Rain; and fbme in making their ridges do leave the 
(pace of three or four foot between each ridge,and then when 
the heat is fbmething declin’d,they trench up thofe (paces with 
good dung for the purpofe, thereby adding new heat to their 
ridges, caufing their Mellons to come away roundly: fome do 
water their ridges or holes of Plants very little, but only the 
Allies between, which do not lie very deep. 
If the mould do chance to (hake from your Plants in remo¬ 
ving, the matter is not great,if your ridges be of a good temper 
for heat, they will quickly get ftrength, andfbmetimes out-go- 
fuch as were not.fhaken at all: if your ridges heat too (lowly, 
you muft cover them well with Straw and Mats, and that will 
caufethem to heat 3 the like courfe you muft ufeto keep off 
Snow or rain from your ridges, at the fir ft planting efpecially: 
alfb it is not the leaft of that skill that belongs to Mellons, to 
know how or when to gather a Mellon fit either for prefent 
(pending, or to (pend two or three days after, in cafe of fend¬ 
ing it far off,and fo as it may not be raw or hard in the eating, 
or too ripe and waterifh, but dry and firm; know that much 
wet or cold weather about the time that Mellons come to perf^ 
fe&ion, doth very much leffen their goodnels, caufing them to 
fpend more flat and waterifti, anckherefore if you can ufe con¬ 
venient means to defend them from too much moifture, your 
Fruit will fpend more pleafant a great deal; diligent oblerva- 
tion and good praftice will make all clear in time to an inge¬ 
nious practitioner. 
Take notice, that in wet ground, or filch as is apt to hold 
moifture overmuch, it is a good way to lay a laying of bufti 
O 2 Faggots 
