On The Management Required In The Culture Of

Early and Late Melons.





For early melons have three loads of dung for a three-light box; but if

you have previously grown early cucumbers, the old linings will be

useful for the melon bed, by mixing a proportion of one half of fresh

dung with it. This, in fact, will be better than all fresh, as it

requires only once turning, whereas new dung should be turned twice. In

gentlemen's gardens there is generally an abundance of leaves, and

sometimes a scarcity of dung; when such is the case, leaves, mixed with

an equal proportion of dung, may be used very successfully for the

early melon; and for the late one all leaves, from trees or shrubs, will

answer the purpose, particularly where there are brick pits.



Let the dung be put together for a week, and lay the same time before it

is turned. Be careful that the bottom is dry where the bed is built;

raise it with mould or road sand to the height of six or eight inches,

and allow the bottom to be eight or nine inches longer and wider than

the box, so that when the bed is made, it may be drawn up in a gradual

manner to about three or four inches wider than the box, observing at

the same time to beat it well down with a fork. Let it be about three

feet nine inches at the back by three feet six inches in the front;

should there, however, happen to be a scarcity of dung, a foot of

strawberry or asparagus halm, fagots, or pieces of wood, or, indeed,

some of each, may be added at the bottom of the bed.



If the dung is dry, apply water to it, that it may be properly

moistened; and after the bed is formed, let it be again watered, as the

plants will not thrive so well, nor the linings have the proper effect,

if the bed is kept too dry.



The bed should be made three weeks or a month before the plants are put

into it, and must be perfectly sweet before they are ridged out. When

the bed is in a proper condition, hollow it out in the middle to the

depth of four inches, and put a large barrow-fall of mould to each hill,

pressing it down close with the hand about a foot deep.



The day before you intend to ridge out, put a pot of plants in the bed,

to prove whether it is sweet, which, if you ascertain to be the case,

and the box is large, ridge them out, three plants to a light; but if

small two will be sufficient.



The proper time to sow the seed for an early crop is about the middle of

January; and the early cucumber bed will do very well for the purpose.

Those sown at this time will be fit to cut in the first or second week

of May; but if there is no particular necessity for fruit so early, the

beginning of February is a preferable season to sow, when they will be

ready to cut by the latter end of May or the beginning of June.



The Early Cantaloupe is the best sort for an early crop. Let them be

sown in leaf mould, about eighteen or twenty seeds in a forty-eight size

pot; immediately apply water, and plunge the pots in a good sharp heat.

As soon as the seed makes its appearance, which will be in the course of

about three days, if it is good, un-plunge the pots and give them a

little water. In two or three days more they will be fit to pot off,

which ought always to be done when about a week old, as they strike much

more freely when potted off young. Let the soil for potting off the

plants be half leaf mould, and half light loam or bog earth.



The best season to sow for a second crop is the beginning of March, and

well calculated for the Stroud Rock, Scarlet Rock, White-seeded Rock,

Green Flesh, and, in fact, many others of nearly the same description,

though under different names, which they have derived from those

gardeners who have cultivated them by impregnating one with the other.

It is by no means, however, advisable to sow the Black Rock before the

latter end of March, as it is only calculated for a late melon, and

should be grown in large boxes, two plants to a light. This, though a

fine looking fruit, and well flavoured, will not suit those whose object

is to produce a large quantity; for, by attempting to grow more than two

in a light, they will not rock, nor arrive to any degree of

perfection.



The Stroud Rock is a particular favourite with the Author, who has

produced fruit of this kind upwards of seven pounds in weight, though

the common size varies from three to five. This description of melon is

not generally known, although it is a fine looking and excellent

flavoured fruit: it possesses a thin skin, orange-coloured flesh, and

the rind is very dark.



The Scarlet Rock is, however, the finest flavoured melon that can be

produced, though small in its growth, seldom exceeding the weight of

three pounds, and commonly from one to two. The flesh is of a deep

scarlet colour, and it is rather inclined to rock.



The Early Cantaloupe is the most productive melon in bearing; but in

order to obtain them good flavoured no more than one fruit must be

suffered to swell on a plant at a time, except the lights are large,

when two may be allowed, that is, six in a light; but if, however, the

plants are confined to one fruit, a second crop may be obtained.



The White-seeded Rock is a very fine melon in appearance, and much

approved of by some gardeners for its qualities in ripening early for a

rock; but it will not, however, keep long, soon loses its flavour, and

the colour changes very yellow; it is also extremely tender in its

growth, and very inferior in flavour to the Stroud Rock; neither is it

so handsome a fruit, so well-flavoured, nor does it ripen any sooner.



The Green Flesh is a fine flavoured melon, with a thin skin, but

generally small in its dimensions. The Author has, however, a sort of

this kind that will grow from three to five pounds in weight.



The Black Rock melon should not be sown later than the latter end of

May; the Stroud and Scarlet Rock may be sown as late as the tenth of

June; and the Early Cantaloupe about the twentieth of June.



In order to produce fine fruit, be particular in having a good depth of

earth, from a foot to eighteen inches will be necessary. When the hills

are made for the very early melons, one large barrow-full of mould will

be sufficient, which must be pressed down close with the hand. Those

that are sown in March will require one barrow-full and a half, and

those afterwards two. In applying this mould, put one barrow-full in

first, and tread it down; then add the remainder, and press it close

down with the hand. Procure some good holding loam of a greasy nature,

such as is generally found in the marshes, which is the most preferable

kind of soil for melons, and let it be well weathered before using. It

ought to lay twelve, or at the least six months. Mix this with a sixth

proportion of good rotten dung or leaf mould, and let it be turned over

two or three different times, that it may be properly sweetened and

incorporated together; taking care, however, that it is not broken too

fine.



The mould intended for the hills of the first crop should be lighter

than for those grown afterwards, being composed of light loam, mixed

with a sixth part of leaf mould or rotten dung; or an equal proportion

of stiff loam and leaf mould. As mould is added after the plants have

been ridged out, let it be trod down close, and take particular care

that the roots are never exposed to the sun, but as soon as they make

their appearance through the hills, increase the mould, in the

proportion of a barrow-full to each hill for the early melon, and two,

or even more, to the later one.



In watering the plants, as the season advances, you must be regulated by

the composition of the soil, and the temperature of the weather. If the

soil is stiff, it will not require half the quantity that should be

applied to light mould. If the weather is warm, much water is necessary,

but if cold very little should be given, as too much moisture at that

time will create the canker.



Heat being materially requisite for preserving the growth of the melon,

great care must be taken in keeping the bed well supplied with linings,

which must be added until the weather becomes fine and settled; they

will generally be required until the beginning of June; but if the

season is even then cold, it is better to continue them longer.



In covering up the early plants, at the first ridging out, a single or

double mat will be sufficient; after that add a little hay, and increase

it if the weather is cold. This should be continued until the middle of

June, or later, if the season is unfavourable.



Many gardeners being unacquainted with the proper mode of training and

topping the melon, and thereby finding it extremely difficult to set the

fruit, the Author will here give the method always pursued by himself,

which, if strictly observed, will be found to be attended with far less

trouble, and more certain in its effect than the plan generally adopted.



When the plants are potted off, top them at the second break; that is,

let them grow to two leaves; then take out the break, which in some

kinds is in the centre, and in others in the second leaf. If you require

the fruit very fine, two plants will be sufficient in a light; but

should there be no particular necessity in that respect, and the lights

are sufficiently capacious, three may be matured extremely well.



Have four runners to a light; that is, if two plants, two runners to

each; but if three, two runners to one plant, and one to each of the

other two. If the lights are large, they may be suffered to run to eight

joints; but if, on the contrary, the lights are confined, six will be

sufficient; and all other breaks that come out at home, with the first

break that issues from the runners, should be effectually taken away, in

order that the others may derive strength and nourishment. As soon as

they make the first breaks from the runners, which by some are

denominated cross bars, top them at the first joint, and in most sorts

they will generally show fruit; but if it should so happen that this

does not succeed, top them again, when they are certain of showing fruit

at the second.



If they are impregnated in the same manner as prescribed in the

directions for the cucumber, there will be no difficulty in setting the

fruit, which will also show much bolder, and possess greater strength

when topped in close.



Every description of melon will be brought to a greater degree of

perfection, by being suffered to swell off on the first shows, which can

alone be effected by keeping them thin of vine: if this is particularly

attended to, no apprehension need be entertained of the fruit being

small or delicate, as, in proportion to the quantity of vine, so it

decreases the strength and vigour of the plants.



Great care is necessary in watering the plants: when they are young, it

should be applied with a rose; but as soon as the runners are extended

all over the bed, that may be dispensed with. If the weather is dull, a

small quantity of water will be sufficient; and if very fine, more must

be applied carefully without a rose, which will be found beneficial in

causing them to set more freely. An insufficiency of moisture is an

error too prevalent with many gardeners in the culture of the melon, and

indeed the inferiority of their fruit, both in weight and flavour, may

be greatly attributed to want of judgment in this particular; for if the

plants are kept thin of vine, the necessity of which has been before

stated, they are of course more open to the air, and the sun has greater

power in drying up the soil, consequently the plants will become

exhausted, and the fruit will ripen before its growth is properly

matured.



The Early Cantaloupe melon, if left to its full time, will be five weeks

from the period of setting before it ripens; the Stroud about six; the

Scarlet seven; and the Black Rock upwards of seven; there will, however,

be some difference between those forced early with bottom heat, and

those grown late; the early ones coming to perfection three or four

days, or even a week before the other.



The proper time to sow for under-ground melons, that is, such as are

grown without linings, is from the twenty-fifth of March to the

twentieth of June; observing, at the same time, that those which are

sown in March will require stronger beds than those that are set three

weeks or a month later.



The beds for the first should be formed of good dung, well worked, and

three feet in height; whereas the latter will only require two feet. Dig

a trench the size of the frame, about eighteen inches deep; and if the

soil is a strong good holding loam, it will answer the purpose for any

description of rock melon; they requiring a strong soil to bring them to

perfection; a light loam, however, may be used for the Early Cantaloupe.



As soon as the bed is formed, tread it down well, make it even, and let

it have about six inches fall from the back to the front; then put on

the boxes and lights, and when the heat rises to its proper height,

which will be in the course of three or four days, put the mould in for

the hills, in the proportion of two barrows-full to a light, levelling

it about an inch all over the bed, for the purpose of preventing the

rank steam from injuring the plants. On the following day they may be

ridged out, and watered, being very particular in sprinkling the bed

regularly over. Admit air freely both night and day at first, until the

bed is purified, and becomes perfectly sweet; this will be the case in

about a week, when they may be shut down at night. Let the topping and

training be the same as directed for the early ones.



If the soil is strong, and of a binding nature, a bank may be made on

the outside, at the back and front, about a foot or eighteen inches

wide, which will prove a great support to the fruit, and cause them to

grow much larger and finer; but if the soil is light and rich, by no

means make a bank, nor ridge out the plants in it, as mould of that

description is not at all adapted for the production of fine melons. The

only one that will in any degree thrive in light rich soil is the Early

Cantaloupe; but any kind of the rock description will never come to

perfection.



It is here necessary to observe that it is impossible ever to obtain

fine or good flavoured fruit, if more than one is suffered to swell on a

plant at a time, as that support which is essential and ought to be

directed to one object, by becoming divided, is insufficient for the

perfection of more, and naturally weakens the fruit, and renders it of

little or no value.



Many horticulturists experience much difficulty from the effects of the

red spider and canker in melons; the former being caused by keeping them

too dry, and the latter arising from too much moisture. In order to

avoid these evils, the following directions should be particularly

attended to. When the weather is hot, or there is a strong bottom heat,

it is necessary to be free in the application of water, especially round

the sides of the boxes; for when the plants cover the bed, it will not

be requisite to give any in the centre over the stems.



When the plants cover the surface of the bed always water without a

rose, observing that it should be invariably done in the morning, and

when the weather is fine, so as to allow the vines to get dry before

night, which will not be the case, if it is applied in the afternoon;

and should the following day be dull, and perhaps continue so for three

or four, the vines will remain wet, and then there is every probability

of their getting the canker, which entirely proceeds from a cold chill,

created by unnecessary moisture.



The canker is a very destructive disorder, and extremely difficult to

eradicate. The only means that can be adopted, or likely to prove

beneficial, is to keep the plants as dry as possible, and to give a good

heat; being careful, at the same time, not to run into the other

extreme, and create the red spider. If, however, the plants are kept

thin of vine, and water is applied in the manner before directed, no

fear need be entertained of either of the above disorders.