April  2,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
295 
year.  The  best  time  for  commencing  may,  however,  be  said  to 
be  March  or  very  early  in  April.  Melons  require  plenty  of 
heat  alike  for  the  growth  of  the  plants  and  the  maturation  of 
the  fruit.  A  strong  but  sturdy  and  steady  growth  is  required, 
with  full  exposure  to  light  and  sun  during  the  greater  part  of 
their  active  growth. 
Plants  must  be  raised  in  bottom  heat  ranging  from  70°  to  75°. 
Sow  the  seeds  singly  in  3-inch  pots,  half  filling  these  with  soil 
composed  of  loam  and  sand  with  only  a  small  amount  of  leaf  mould. 
Provide  of  course  a  little  drainage  at  the  bottom  of  each  pot. 
Plunge  the  pots  to  the  rim  in  the  heating  medium,  a  propagating 
frame  or  box  stood  over  hot-water  pipes  affording  the  requisite 
temperature.  It  is  important  that  this  medium  be  kept  moist,  but 
the  soil  in  the  pots  ought  not  to  receive  water  until  the  seed  has 
germinated,  which  will  soon  take  place  in  the  temperature  named. 
When  the  seedlings  appear  encourage  their  growth  by  maintaining 
favourable  surroundings  as  to  heat  and  moisture,  as  well  as  a  light 
position.  Afford  support  to  the  stems  if  necessary  and  fill  up  the 
pots  with  fresh  soil  when  the  first  formed  roots  have  multiplied 
freely .  It  may  in  some  cases  be  necessary  to  give  them  a  size 
larger  pot,  but  not  usually,  when  the  small  plants  can  be  transferred 
directly  to  the  beds.  For  growing  in  pots  for  fruiting  repotting 
will  be  necessary,  one  shift  only  being  sufficient  before  transferring 
permanently  to  the  larger  pots. 
House  culture,  however,  in  beds  renders  a  shift  undesirable, 
because  the  plants  take  better  to  the  soil  when  small  provided 
proper  attention  is  given.  The  bed  in  which  they  are  to  be  grown 
should  be  provided  with  bottom  heat,  say  two  rows  of  4-inch  pipes, 
either  running  below  or  through  the  bed.  In  the  latter  case  rubble 
must  be  used  to  provide  a  base  for  the  soil,  carrying  the  material 
above  the  pipes.  Place  a  layer  of  turves  on  the  rubble  and  over 
that  the  soil.  When  the  pipes  are  below  the  bed  the  base  may 
consist  of  moveable  slates,  stones,  or  wood  resting  on  iron  or  wood 
bearings.  A  layer  of  drainage  material  should  be  placed  on  the 
bottom,  turves  being  used  to  cover  and  prevent  the  soil  washing  in. 
With  a  slight  fall  to  allow  of  the  escape  of  superfluous  water  the 
whole  of  the  base  may  not  require  a  drainage  layer.  Th^  joints 
between  the  flags,  boards,  or  slates  will  afford  means  of  escape  for 
water. 
The  soil  for  Melons  requires  to  be  a  rather  strong  turfy  loam, 
adding  a  little  old  lime  rubble  to  it  and  a  pint  of  soot  to  each 
bushel,  but  no  manure  except  a  slowly  soluble  kind,  such  as 
bone  dust,  at  the  rate  of  half  a  gallon  to  the  barrowful.  In  placing 
this  in  the  beds  do  so  in  mounds  2  feet  wide  at  the  base  and  a  foot 
wide  at  the  top.  The  compost  should  be  made  very  firm,  a  firm 
rooting  medium  being  essential  for  Melons.  Allow  the  hillock  to 
become  warmed  through  and  then  plant. 
The  method  of  training  mast  decide  the  distance  between  the 
plants,  and  therefore  the  proper  position  to  place  the  mounds  of 
soil.  When  grown  as  single  cordons  place  the  plants  30  inches 
apart,  and  train  the  stem  to  the  top,  or  nearly  so,  of  the  trellis,  then 
nip  out  its  point.  Lateral  shoots  will  be  produced  on  both  sides  of 
the  stem.  If  they  are  formed  more  closely  than  desirable  thin 
them  out  early  to  not  less  than  6  inches  asunder.  When  flowers 
are  open  fertilise  the  pistillate  or  fruiting  flower  with  a  staminate 
or  male  flower,  also  nipping  out  the  point  of  each  shoot  one  joint 
beyond  the  fruit.  Endeavour  to  fertilise  as  many  at  one  time  as 
possible,  so  that  they  will  all  set  and  swell  evenly.  It  is  not 
possible  to  grow  successfully  many  fruits  on  one  plant  by  this 
system,  but  it  affords  earlier  fruit  than  by  methods  allowing  of 
more  growth  extension.  It  is  a  system  suitable  for  pots  and  for 
restricted  space.  The  activity  of  the  roots  must  be  maintained  by 
frequent  top-dressing  and  stimulating  foods  during  the  swelling  of 
the  fruit. 
Plants  that  are  to  be  grown  with  several  main  growths  must  be 
placed  4  feet  apart  on  hillocks  of  soil  the  same  distance  between. 
Insert  sturdy  young  plants  with  a  single  stem.  Train  them  thus  to 
the  height  of  the  trellis,  rubbing  out  the  lateral  growths  to  that 
height,  but  retain  the  main  leaves.  When  the  stem  reaches  the 
trellis  stop  the  growth  of  the  leader.  This  will  cause  the  pro¬ 
duction  of  side  growths  immediately  below.  Select  the  strongest, 
and  train  them  18  inches  apart  on  the  trellis,  stopping  them  before 
they  reach  the  top.  Lateral  shoots  will  then  form  freely,  and 
fruitful  blossoms  appear.  Fertilise  a  number  of  these  at  once, 
selecting  a  period  of  the  day — namely,  noon,  when  the  plants, 
pollen,  and  structure  are  dry.  Stop  one  or  two  joints  beyond  the 
fruit,  the  sub-lateral  growth  being  stopped  at  the  first  leaf  as  made. 
Overcrowding  the  growths  or  principal  leaves  must  on  no  account 
be  allowed.  Every  lateral  shoot  or  large  leaf  that  cannot  obtain 
plenty  of  light  and  space  to  develop  is  exhaustive  to  the  plant  and 
injurious  to  its  neighbours. 
Adequate  moisture  must  be  supplied  to  the  roots  during  the 
period  of  growth  and  the  swelling  of  the  fruit,  frequent  syringing 
also  being  carried  out  to  promote  a  healthy  condition  of  the  foliage. 
As  the  fruit  begins  to  ripen  less  water  is  required  by  the  roots,  yet 
the  foliage  should  never  flag.  Syringing  ought  to  cease  at  this 
period,  a  dry  atmosphere  being  essential  to  perfect  ripening. 
Enough  atmospheric  moisture  may  be  maintained  by  damping  the 
floors  only  in  bright  weather.  Water  should  not  fall  or  be  given  imme¬ 
diately  round  the  stems  of  the  plants.  Moisture  at  this  point  leads 
to  decay  and  collapse  that  cannot  be  remedied.  The  first  signs  of 
decay  may,  however,  be  arrested  by  rubbing  in  quicklime  to  the 
affected  parts. 
As  the  fruits  swell  their  weight  causes  the  growths  to  bend  ; 
therefore  some  support  is  necessary.  Small  square  boards  held  up 
by  strings  from  each  corner,  and  attached  to  the  trellis  or  wires  so 
as  to  relieve  the  weight,  are  very  effective.  Strands  of  matting  or 
netting  are  also  employed. 
Great  care  ought  to  be  taken  not  to  overfeed  Melons  with  strong 
FIG.  52.— FEITILLABIA  PUDICA. 
manures.  The  application  of  cold  water  to  the  roots  must  be 
avoided  as  a  plague,  and  guard  against  checks  of  all  kinds  in  the 
soil,  in  the  atmosphere,  and  in  air-giving. 
Three  Melons  of  known  excellence  are  Blenheim  Orange, 
scarlet  fleshed  ;  Eastnor  Castle,  green  fleshed  ;  and  Hero  of 
Lockinge,  white  fleshed. — E.  D.  S. 
FRITILLARIA  PUDICA. 
Amongst  the  many  floral  gems  exhibited  at  the  last  meeting  of  the 
R.H.S.  perhaps  none  came  in  for  a  greater  share  of  praise  and  attention 
than  the  modest  looking  hardy  spring  flower  depicted  in  the  woodcut 
(fig.  52),  Fritillaria  pudica.  It  is  a  charming  species,  not  6  inches 
high,  unassuming  in  appearance,  but  with  beautiful  bell-shaped  golden 
yellow  flowers  that  make  it_  singularly  attractive.  The  foliage,  like 
the  flower,  is  elegant,  and  altogether  the  plant  carries  with  it  that 
aspect  of  shyness  so  characteristic  of  the  hardy  spring  flowering 
family. 
First-class  certificates  were  awarded  to  Messrs.  R.  Wallace  &  Co., 
Colchester,  and  Mr.  T.  S.  Ware,  Tottenham,  for  flowers  of  this 
Fritillaria,  which  we  feel  sure  has  only  to  become  widely  known  to  be 
universally  admired. 
