65 
MELON. 
inches of earth, and mix *he dung and earth well with the spade; aftei 
which draw the remainder of the earth over the mixture, so as to form a 
round hill about a foot broad at top. Some people use hot stable dung under 
an idea that its heat would promote the vegetation of the seed : this is a mis¬ 
taken notion, as, in a few hours, it loses all it had, for w T ant of a sufficient 
quantity being together to promote fermentation, and becomes a dryish wisp, 
unfit, at least for the prese it, to afford either heat or nourishment to the 
plants. 
“ When your hills are all prepared as above, plant in each, towards the 
center, eight or nine grains of good melon-seed, distant two inches from one 
another, and cover them about half an inch deef>. 77 
After-culture .—“ When the plants are up, and in a state of forwardness, 
producing their rough leaves, they must be thinned to two or three in each 
hill: the extra number in some may serve to fill up deficiencies in others : 
draw earth from time to time round the hills, and as high about the plants as 
the seed-leaves ; when fit stop them. This operation should be performed 
when the plants have tw r o rough leaves, and when the second is about an 
inch broad, having the first runner-bud rising at its base ; the sooner this is 
detached, the sooner the plants acquire strength, and put out fruitful runners. 
“ It is to be done in the following manner:— 
u You will see arising in the center of the plant, at the bottom of the second 
rough leaf, the end of the first runner, like a small bud; which bud or run¬ 
ner, being the advancing top of the plant, is now to be taken off close, and 
may be done either with the point of a penknife or small scissors, or pinched 
off carefully with the finger and thumb; but, whichever way you take it off, 
be careful not to go so close as to wound the joint from whence it proceeds. 77 
Armstrong says, “If the branches be vigorous and long, stretch them care¬ 
fully over a level surface, and bury every fourth or fifth joint. This is best 
done by means of a wrnoden crotchet. The objects of pinching, or shortening 
the stem, are thus completely fulfilled, without any of the risk which attends 
that operation, and with advantages peculiar to this method; as, wherever 
the plant is buried, new roots are formed for the better nutrition of the stem 
and the fruit. 77 
Setting .— u As the fruit-bearers come into blossom, you may assist the set¬ 
ting of the fruit, by impregnating some of the female blossoms with the male 
flowers, as directed for the cucumber. The melon, however, will also set 
naturally, and produce fertile seeds, if the time of fructification fall at a sea¬ 
son when the glasses can be left almost constantly open. 77 — Aber. Nicol says 
he has “ proved, experimentally, that melons not impregnated will not swell 
off so fair and handsome as impregnated ones, and therefore considers it more 
necessary to attend to this operation in melons than in cucumbers. 77 — Loudon. 
Care of the fruit .—As the fruit increases to the size of a walnut, place a 
fiat tile or slate under e?ch, to protect it fr m the damp of the earth ; the 
