MAM 
MEL 
and liberally supplied with moisture in 
the growing season. 
MAMMEE TREE. Mcimmea Ameri¬ 
cana (WiLLDENOW.)Nat.Ord. Gntiifera. 
Another tropical fruit-tree of hand¬ 
some appearance, somewhat like the 
magnolia, and having odoriferous white 
flowers which are succeeded by large 
roundish fruit, having a tough rind or 
rather two, inclosing a firm, bright yel¬ 
low pulp of a peculiar rich taste and 
aromatic scent. To cultivate it a tall 
stove is necessary, as the tree attains 
a considerable stature. They grow best 
in two parts loam and one part peat: 
propagation is effected by cuttings in the 
usual manner. 
MANGO. Mangifera Indica (Will- 
denow.) Nat. Ord. Terebinthacece. 
This is one of the most esteemed of 
Indian fruits. It is a noble, tall-grow¬ 
ing tree, with leaves seven or eight 
inches long, and two or three wide ; the 
flowers greenish red, produced in loose 
bunches at the ends of the branches, 
and are followed by fruit of the size of 
a large apple; it is a berried drupe, 
varying in form from kidney-shaped to 
oval and round ; the flesh is soft and 
filled with a rich agreeable juice; it is 
inclosed in a leathery shell, and when 
fully ripe is yellow and reddish; there 
are many varieties, like our own apples, 
the inferior kinds being filled with little 
fibres, from which the juice runs rapidly 
on cutting. In India the Mango is es¬ 
teemed second only to the very best 
pine apples, and is eaten raw in a ripe 
state, or the unripe fruit is pickled. 
They are cultivated in all tropical coun¬ 
tries, and seeds from the West Indies 
are found to vegetate freely; in our 
climate they require stove treatment; 
to be planted in sandy loam, and to be 
well drained, as they are subject to 
much injury from stagnant moisture. 
It is recommended in the management 
of these trees to train the branches down¬ 
wards near to the grass to bring them 
into a fruiting state at an early period. 
MARJORAM. Marjorana onites 
(Mcench.) Nat. Ord. Labiate. A 
well-known potherb, requiring only to 
be sown where it is to remain, or pro¬ 
pagated by division or slips set in some 
corner of the garden in spring; the 
stemware cut off in autumn and dried 
for winter use. Knotted maijoram, M. 
Jiortensis, is greatly esteemed for kitchen 
uses ; the seed should be sown in March 
in a gentle hotbed, and the young plants 
removed in May to a warm part of the 
garden, and when full grown cut down 
and dried, as recommended for the other 
species. 
MARMALAD BOX. Genipa Ameri¬ 
cana (Peesoon.) Nat. Ord. Rubiacece. 
The fruit of this tree is highly esteemed 
in Dutch Guiana and Brazil, but it is 
little known in British collections. In 
cultivation there is nothing to distin¬ 
guish this plant from other inhabitants 
of the stove ; it resembles the Gardenia 
in character. 
MEDLAR. Mespilus Germanica. 
(Willdenow.) Nat. Ord. Rosacece. 
In complete orchards, one or two speci¬ 
mens of this tree are necessary, though 
it is not generally cultivated. As re¬ 
gards situation and treatment, it resem¬ 
bles in every respect the apple-tree, and 
the fruit should be gathered along with 
the later varieties of that fruit, but they 
are not eatable till in a state of incipient 
decay. 
There are only two varieties worth 
cultivation, these are the 
Dutch, a large, oblate fruit, with remark¬ 
ably long bracts while in the unripe 
state. Syn. Large Dutch, Broad¬ 
leaved Dutch, Large German, Large 
fruited, and the 
Nottingham ; the fruit of this is more 
flattened than that of the former, and 
it is rather smaller, but by far the 
best in flavour. Syn. Common Nai\ 
row-leaved Dutch, Small fruited. 
MELON. Cucumis Melo (Willde¬ 
now.) Nat. Ord. Gucurbitacene. The 
culture of Melons forms a leading feature 
in the practice of most gardeners, and is 
sure to engage their attention at some 
time or other, in consequence of the 
very general estimation in which the 
fruit is held. In the following remarks 
we shall briefly describe the treatment 
of the main crop, premising that if a large 
supply is required it will be necessary 
