This section is from the book "The Gardener V1", by William Thomson. Also available from Amazon: The New Organic Grower: A Master's Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener.
The last year being a very dull and wet season, the crop of Melons in general was very poor. The want of sunshine tells much against the Melon when in flower. I tried an experiment last year with the Melon, which I give to the readers of the Magazine for what it is worth. The experiment was this: After impregnating the flower, I tied the petals together. This I did with the view to keep dampness from the heart of the flower, and the result was that we had a splendid crop: in eight lights upon dung we had sixty fruit, some of them about 6 lb. Some of the readers of the Magazine might try the experiment this season, and see how it succeeds with them.
Alex. Gibson. Vogrie, Ford.
 
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