Time And Mode Of Sowing

Seed may be sown about the middle of January; but the usual time is about the same period of the succeeding month, or not even until its close, if severe weather; to be repeated towards the end of March, and lastly in the first weeks of April and May. The length of time between the sowing and cutting, depends chiefly upon the variety employed. But little time is gained by sowing before February is well advanced, and more risk of failure incurred. On tbe average, fifteen weeks elapse; on the shortest and coldest days of winter eighteen ; and as the spring advances it decreases to eleven or twelve; these periods necessarily varying in different years. The mode of sowing, managing the seedlings, pricking out, etc, being the same as with the cucumber, only that a few degrees higher temperature is required, I refer the reader to that head. The pots in which the seed is sown should be three or four inches deep. Each sowing is best performed twice, four or five days elapsing before the second insertion ; this guards as much as possible against failure. The pots should be plunged by degrees, and not at once down to the rim. Those for pricking into must be about five inches in diameter.

The first stopping is usually performed in the seed-beds.

Ridging Out

The soil must be two feet deep, and the plants inserted in the centre of each light, care being taken to remove them with as little injury as possible to the roots. The removal should take place soon after the attainment of the rough leaves, or immediately on the appearance of the lateral runners. If the bed is not ready, those from the earth of the seed-beds must be moved into pots, and those already in them turned into larger ones, from whence they may be finally removed without detriment; one plant only should be allowed to remain, for no more are required for each light. Water must be given with the precautions enumerated for cucumbers, and especial care taken not to wet the foliage, or to apply it too abundantly, and repeated two or three times until the plants are established. When completely rooted, the bed may be earthed by degrees to its full depth, sixteen inches; it being first added immediately round the cones, and pressed moderately firm as it is laid on. The pruning and training must be performed as in cucumbers, and the same precautions taken to admit air and light, and to shade and cover, etc.

It is in the training and management of the foliage in particular that the generality of gardeners are careless, although the labours of the physiologist and chemist have demonstrated how important it is that every leaf should be kept in its natural posture and vigour. So convinced was Mr. Knight of the little attention paid to this point, that he took some melon plants under his especial care. He placed one under each light, the glass of which was six feet by four; the branches were trained regularly and secured by pegs in every direction; and still further, to present the largest possible surface of foliage to the light, the leaves were held erect at equal distances from the glass. As great injury is sustained by these from the common mode of watering, it was so performed as not to touch them. By this simple additional care, the other routine of their management being the same as usual, the fruit attained an extraordinary degree of perfection, and ripened in an unusually short space of time. Mr. Knight further directs, however, that wherever a sufficient quantity of fruit is set, the production of more leaves is to be prevented, if they cannot be exposed to the light without overshadowing the fruit, by pinching off the laterals as soon as formed.

No part of full-grown leaves, however, should be destroyed though far distant from the fruit.