/  . 
February  7,  1901.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER,  111 
J(elons,, 
( Continued  from  page  H8.) 
Melons  are  now  generally  grown  in  houses — span-roofed  or  lean- 
to — and  the  plants  trained  on  trellises  near  the  glass.  Of  the  two 
structures  I  prefer  a  span-roofed  house  of  the  following  dimensions  to 
any  other  for  growing  Melons.  Width  from  out  to  out  12  feet ;  height, 
11  feet ;  width  of  inside  borders  round  the  sides,  2  feet  6  inches ; 
depth  1  foot  3  inches  ;  with  chambers  underneath  covered  with  slate 
slabs,  and  two  rows  of  4-inch  hot-water  pipes  in  them  for  bottom 
heat,  and  two  rows  of  4-inch  pipes  on  either  side  of  the  path  For 
atmospheric  heat.  This  will  be  sufficient  piping  to  maintain  a 
temperature  of  70°  in  all  states  of  the  weather.  The  outside  walls 
9-inch  brickwork,  and  4  feet  6  inches  above  the  ground  level.  The 
retaining  walls  of  the  inside  borders  single  brick  on  the  flat  (4-inch  work) 
2  feet  9  inches  above  the  level  of  the  floor,  finished  with  a  coping  of 
cement  or  thick  slate.  The  doors  at  either  end  of  the  house  3  feet 
8  inches  wide  and  6  feet  4  inches  high,  to  allow  free  access  when 
filling  the  borders  with  soil,  or  when  emptying  them.  The  roof  to  be 
trellised  with  strong  galvanised  wire  9  inches  apart  and  16  inches  from 
the  glass,  and  the  structure  ventilated  from  end  to  end,  at  the  ridge, 
by  simultaneous 
opening  gear. 
The  house  may 
be  made  to  any 
length,  according 
to  requirements, 
and  supplied  with 
water  tanks  ac¬ 
cording  toits  size. 
There  Bbould  be 
no  difficulty  in 
growing  Melons 
in  a  house  of  this 
description  if  the 
cultural  details 
are  properly  at¬ 
tended  to.  But 
Melons  can  be 
grown  well  in 
large  houses  con¬ 
taining  a  miscel¬ 
laneous  collection 
of  6tore  plants. 
There  are  several 
large  span -roofed 
houses  in  the  gar¬ 
dens  under  my 
charge  where  I 
grow  Melons,  Cu- 
cumbers,  pot 
Vines,  and  a  col¬ 
lection  of  plants 
together,  and  I 
have  no  hesita¬ 
tion  in  saying 
that  they  are  all 
fairly  well  grown.  But  I  do  not  recommend  growing  Melons  with 
other  plants  when  it  can  be  avoided. 
With  respect  to  the  aspect  these  houses  should  occupy,  there  is 
much  difference  of  opinion.  Most  writers,  however,  recommend  that 
span-roofed  houses  should  run  north  and  south,  while  others  contend 
that  they  should  run  east  and  west.  I  have  several  Bpan-roofed 
houses  where  I  grow  Melons  that  occupy  both  aspects,  and  I  find  no 
material  difference  in  either.  The  Melons  grow  and  fruit  as  well  in 
the  one  as  in  the  other.  But  to  be  successful  in  the  cultivation  of 
the  Melon  (or  indeed  of  any  plant)  much  depends  on  attention  to 
little  details  at  the  proper  time,  the  neglect  of  which  will  lead  to 
failure  and  disappointment.  Seeds  for  an  early  crop  may  be  sown 
the  second  week  in  January.  I  think  it  is  a  mistake  to  sow  much 
earlier  than  this,  as  the  plants  make  little  progress  till  the  days 
lengthen.  I  put  a  dozen  seeds  in  a  5-inch  flower  pot  filled  with  light 
soil — sifted  loam  and  leaf  mould  in  equal  parts.  They  are  then 
watered  with  a  fine  rose  watering  can,  and  the  top  of  the  pot  covered 
with  a  piece  of  glass,  which  keeps  the  soil  moist  and  protects  the  seeds 
from  being  eaten  by  mice  before  germination.  The  pots  are  placed  in 
a  brisk  bottom  heat  in  one  qf  the  stoves,  and  the  young  plants  make 
their  appearance  in  a  few  days,  and,  when  large  enough,  they  are 
potted  singly  in  3-inch  pots.  Some  gardeners  recommend  putting 
two  seeds  in  a  small  pot,  and  after  germination  removing  the  weakest 
plant,  which  obviates  the  necessity  of  potting,  and  the  risk  of  giving 
the  plants  a  check  in  the  operation.  But,  after  all,  the  advantage 
gained  by  this  method  is  more  theoretical  than  real. 
Melons  can  be  grown  in  ordinary  garden  soil  enriched  with  crushed 
bones,  wood  ashes,  or  rotten  stable  manure,  and  produce  good  crops. 
But  from  long  experience  I  consider  the  best  of  all  soils  for  the  Melon 
is  a  yellow  fibrous  loam  taken  from  the  surface  of  a  meadow  that  has 
lain  in  pasture  for  several  years,  and  stacked  in  a  ridge  for  some  time 
to  mellow  before  being  used.  It  should  then  be  chopped  up  roughly 
and  a  little  leaf  mould,  old  mortar,  and  wood  ashes  added  to  it,  and 
all  thoroughly  mixed  together  by  turning  it  over  several  times.  In 
soil  of  this  description  I  grow  Melons  for  three  years  in  succession 
without  changing  it.  Some  time  before  it  is  required  it  is  ddg  over  to 
the  bottom,  and  the  soil  thrown  up  roughly  to  dry  and  sweeten. 
Before  planting  it  the  lumps  are  broken  and  the  border  trod  all  over, 
made  firm  and  level,  and  mounds  of  fresh  soil  made  on  the  top  to  start 
the  plants  in. 
Some  growers  still  continue  to  fill  only  a  portion  of  the  border 
at  first — just  sufficient  soil  to  start  the  plants— and  when  it  is  permeated 
with  roots  more  soil  is  gradually  added  until  the  border  is  filled.  I  do 
not  think  there  is  much  advantage  gained  by  this  method  ;  besides,  it 
makes  more  labour  at  a  season  when  there  is  plenty  df  other  work 
to  be  done.  I  always  have  the' borders  filled  at  once  and  made 
firm,  and  the  soil  is  allowed  to  get  thoroughly  warm  before  the  plants 
are  set  out.  To  do  Melons  well  they  should  be  allowed  plenty  of 
room  to  develop, 
and  I  never  plant 
them  closer  than 
4  feet  apart,  on 
mounds  of  earth 
raised  4  inches 
higher  than  the 
level  of  the  bor¬ 
der,  and  14  inches 
wide  on  the  top. 
But  previous  to 
planting  neat 
stakes  are  put 
into  each  mound 
long  enough  to 
reach  the  first 
wire  on  the  trellis, 
and  from  the  top 
of  each  stake  to 
the  top  of  the 
trellis  a  thin  strip 
of  split  Bamboo 
cane  is  tied  to 
each  of  the  wires 
to  make  them 
firm  for  training 
the  main  stem 
of  the  plants  to. 
After  planting 
has  been  finished, 
earthenware  col¬ 
lars,  a  foot  in  dia¬ 
meter  and  4  in. 
deep,  are  slipped 
over  the  plants 
and  pressed 
firmly  in  the  soil  encircling  the  stems,  so  that  the  person  watering  the 
borders— if  careful — can  do  so  without  putting  any  water  inside  the 
collar,  as  the  earth  here  is  kept  as  dry  as  possible  to  prevent  the 
plants  from  damping  off  at  the  base.  To  guard  against  water  getting 
inside  the  collars  when  syringing  the  plants  pieces  of  strong 
brown  paper  with  slits  in  them  to  the  centre  to  go  round  the  stems 
are  placed  over  the  collars.  This  prevents  any  water  getting  inside 
of  them,  if  the  papers  are  removed  as  soon  as  syringing  is  finished. 
By  adopting  these  simple  means  it  is  seldom,  indeed,  that  the 
plant  damps  off  at  the  neck,  if  it  has  been  properly  planted,  and 
put  no  deeper  in  the  borders  than  it  was  when  growing  in  the 
flower  pot.  The  plants  receive  one  good  watering  after  being 
planted,  but  never  any  more  inside  the  collars.  The  borders  should 
be  watered  whenever  they  require  it,  sometimes  as  often  as  three 
times  a  day,  when  the  plants  are  in  full  vigour  and  the  weather  hot 
and  sunny. 
As  the  plants  grow  the  main  stems  are  trained  to  within  a  foot  of 
the  top  of  the  trellis  and  then  stopped  by  pinching  out  the  points,  and 
before  they  have  finished  growing  the  stems  reach  to  the  top  of  it. 
The  lateral  shoots  between  the  cotyledons  and  first  wire  of  the  trellis 
are  rubbed  off,  and  the  others  trained  to  the  wires  and  stopped  at  the 
second  leaf  beyond  the  female  flower,  and  all  the  sublaterals  are 
stopped  at  the  first  leaf,  and  the  tendrils  pinched  off  as  soon  as  they 
ap  ear  on  the  vine — ( Paper  read  by  Mr.  A.  Pettigrew  before  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  ) 
(To  be  concluded.) 
Pancratium  fragrans. 
