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Show ME when they have produc’d about fix Inches no Danger of mifcarrying, if the Vinesare but long, fhould be regularly plac’d in the Man- kept clear from Weeds, and not tumbled or ner they are defign’d to remain, for thefe Shoots bruifed, but carefully attended with Water ought never to be difplac'd, or the Leaves &c. then the natural Growth ofthe Plants hot bruis’'d with the Hand, whichis very injuri- being obftructed, you need not fear Succefg, During the Growth of the Melons you fhould ous to them; therefore you fhould conftantly keep them clear from Weeds, and as the conftantly attend them with Water, being Shoots are produc’d, lay them in their true cautious not to give them too much; but when Order fo as not to crofs or entangle with each other, but by no means fhould you ftop them, as is too often practis’d, whichoccafions their putting forth a greater Number of Shoots, but then they are the weaker, and fo there isa Confufion of Vine, but thofe not ftrong enough to produce any confiderable Fruit, nor will the firft Afe/ons, which appear upon fuch Vines, remain, but, on the contrary, fall away, and come to nothing. Thefe Plants fhould be oftenrefrefh’d with Water, but you muft be careful not to give them too much; and when the Vines have grown off from the little Hill upon which they were planted, you fhould water them gently all over their Leaves, which will greatly refrefh them, but you fhould becareful not to do this in the Heat of the Day, left the Sun, by immediately exhaufting the Moifture, fhould feorch the Leaves of the Plants; nor fhould it be done late in the Evening, for the Glaffes being then put down clofe, and cover’d with Mats or Straw, the Moifture which always arifes after fuch Waterings, where there is a Warmthin the Beds, being pent in, will become rancid, and mixing with the Air, will the Fruit is arriv’d to a confiderable Bignefs, you fhould intirely forbear watering them, or at leaft do it very {paringly, for the Water which is then given them, does but contribute to the making them large and ill-tafted, which fhould always be avoided, for a middle-{iz’d well-tafted Fruit is far preferable to the mot monftrous, watery, green, ill-tafled Meson that was ever produc’d When the Fruit begins to ripen, (which you may know bythe changingits Colour, and emitting an Odour when clofely {mell’d to) you fhould turn it every Day, that everySide of the Melon may be expos’d to the Sun, that it may be equally ripen’d onall Sides: And if you intend to eat it foonafter it is gather’d, you fhould let it remain upon the Vines until it changes pretty yellow, and the Stalks feem to feparate from the Fruit; then you fhould cut it off in the Morning before the Sun is too hot, obferving to preferve two Inchesof the Stalk to the Fruit, otherwife it will lofe of its Richnefs: But when the Fruit is to be fent to any Diftance, fo that it will be two or three Days before it is eaten, then you muft obferve not to let it be too ripe beforeit be cut, for occafion its being hurtful to the Plants, there- it will be little worth, after being kept two or fore the beft time is about feven or eight of three Days. the Clock in the Morning, according to the If the above-mention’d Directions be duly Seafon of the Year; and when you find the obferv’d, you will not have Occafionto Sun fhines hot upon the Glaffes, you fhould off the Leaves from the Vines, to admitpull the raife them, to let the Steam pais off, and in Sunto the Fruit, as is often pradtis'd, though the Middle of the Day, in very hot Weather, very abfurdly, forthe Fruit will alwaysthrive the Glaffes fhould be fhaded with Mats or much better where it has a gentle Coverture of Straw, which will prevent their {corching, and Leaves, than where it is too much exposd to preferve a gentle Moifture in the Bed, which the Sun, which hardens the outer Skin, and is abfolutely neceflary for the Growth of prevents its kindly Growth, whereby it is renPlants. der’d tough and ill-tafted. : Whenyour Fruit begins to appear, you will But notwithftanding I have advis'd the at the fame time perceive a great Number of planting out the Me/on Plants upontheHillsin Male Flowers (which the Gardeners call falfe the Middle of each Light, yet ifany Perfon is Bloffoms, and are eafily diftinguifh’d from the very curious to have early Fruit, the beft Mefruitful ones, by their being produc’d upon a thod is to plant them in Baskets, (in the Manflender Pedicle, whereas the fruitful ones are ner as was directed for Cucumbers, wnaet always faften'd to the Topof the young Fruit): which Head you will find proper Inftruétions Thefe are by many Perfons carefully pick’d how they are to be manag'd until they are off, as fuppofing that they weaken the Plants ridged out into the Frames for good, whic? and are injurious to the young Fruit ; but this fhould not be done till the Flowers begin it is a very great Miftake, (as I have more than appear); after which the Management mut once experienc’d) for they are abfolutely necef- be the fameas hath been before inierted, fary to impregnate the Ovary of the fruitful ne Flower: Which when done, the Fruit will atto Pruning, Watering, €3c. therefore | fh i forbear repeating either of thofe Articles in foon {well and grow large; but if this be obthis Place, but fhall now proceed to the Mer ftrudted, they feldom come to any thing, but thod practis’d by the moft skilful Gardener , on the contrary, change yellow, andfall off: ‘Therefore I would caution every one againft for the fecond or general Crop of Melons whic are rais’d commonly under Bell or Han to oe Miftakes; whereas on the ‘trary, when they never do an thing more Crop, is (as I before-mention’d) about i the nice pruning of Melons, in which they are ieee bue ~ ftop the firft leading Shoust toieneou- rage heir producing ftrong Runners, there is M E ME Glaffes, > ete The Seafon for fowing the Secd for ah Beginning of March, and maybe put into a Upper-fide of the Hot-beds where your 6 Melons or Cucumbers are planted, ME in which Place they will foon come up, and may then the Top of each, to force out Runners from the Bottom, (as was before directed for thofe in Frames) ; and as the Weather increafes warm, fo you fhould always raife up the Frames, (according as you have Conveniency) Glaffes on the South-fide with Stones, in the obferving to refrefh’em with Water, as alfo to Middie of the Day, to give ’em Air, which fhade them, until they have taken Root; after will caufe “em to be very ftrong ; and alfo give which, you muft let °em have a great Share them a little Water twice a Week, if the of frefh Air when the Weather is good, that Weather be good ; but don’t give ’em too the Plants may grow fhort and ftrong ; and much at each Time, left you thereby canker obferve to earth up their Stems, as they ad- and rot their Roots, vance, with light Earth, which will greatly About the Middle of May, or fooner, (acencourage the Plants, cording as your Plants have thriven) their About the Beginning of Apri/ the Plants Runners will have grown fo as to crufh againft will put out their rough Leaves, at which the Glaffes on every Side; therefore you Time you fhould be provided with a Quantity fhould place three Bricks under each Glafs at of new Dung, in Proportion to the Number Right Angles, upon which the Glaffes fhould of Holes intended, (always allowing a good be jet, fo that there may be a Hollow under Load: of Dung to five Holes, which is the each of about two Inches, or lefs, which will be taken up and tranfplanted into a new Hotbed, and cover'’d either with Hand-glaffes or common Quantum) which fhould be caft into a Heap for fix or feven Days, mixing there- be fufficient to admit the Runners out ; then you fhould gently lead them from under the Glaffes, putting eachin its right Pofition, fo that they may not crofs or intangle with each muit dig out a Trench, the Length whereof other; to prevent which, you fhould have fhould be according to the Numberof Glaffes fome {mall forked Sticks, (fuch as are comyou intend in each Row, allowing them three monly ufed in laying Carnations) with which Feet Diftance, and in Width two Feet and youfhould gently peg down each ftrong Runan Half: But the Depth muft be proportion’d ner, which will prevent their being difplac’d to the Moifture or Drinefs of the Soil ; ina by the Wind, or any other Accident. But dry one it fhould be ten Inches deep, but in you muft obferve, if the Nights prove cold a moift Soil two or three Inches will be after they are let out from under the Glaffes, enough ; then you muft wheel the Dung to cover ’em with Mats ; otherwife the Ends therein, obferving to fhake and work every of the Shoots will fuffer by the Cold, to the Part ofit equally, and to lay it of an equal no fmall Injury of the Plants: You muft alfo Thicknefs, as allo to make the Sides ftrait : obferve to refrefh "em with Water, (as beThen having laid the Dung even, you muft fore); but forbear all other pruning or mark out the Places intended for the Holes, handling them, for the Reafons before laid at each of which you muft lay a Basket full down. of frefh light rich Earth, thrufting in a Stick When the Vines have extended themfelves about two Feet long into the Middle, which to the Sides of the Ridges, you fhould dig up muft remain for a Mark where the Hole is to the Ground on each Side about two Feet wide, be made ; then cover the Dung all over, both laying therein fome old rotten Horfe-dung, Top and Sides, with the Earth that came out covering it with the Earth, fo as to raife it of the Trench, laying it exactly fmooth and even with the Top of the Ridges, whereby even, about three Inches thick, or fomewhat they will be widened near four Feet; and fo more: ‘Then put the Glafles on over each the Vines will have Room to run on each Stick, letting *em remain clofe down two Days, Side, without hanging downfrom the Ridges ; by which ‘lime the Dung will have warm’d and the old Dung which was laid on each Side the Earth fufficiently to receive the Plants : will be of great Service to the Roots. After You fhould therefore drawout the Sticks, and having made up the Ridges in this manner, with your Hand level the Top of the Hill, you muft gently lay out the Shoots thereon, breaking the Clods, and laying it hollowlike being careful to train ’em in their proper Ora Difh, to retain the Water given to them ; der, fo as not to crof$ each other: You muft then take the Plants up carefully from the alfo carefully clear em from Weeds ; but be other Bed, and put two {trong ones into each very careful that you donot bruife or break Hole, obferving to water and fhade ’em until the Leaves with your Hands; and then fet with a few Sea-coal Afhes ; and when the Dung is in a proper Temper for ufing, you they have taken Root. the Glaffes on again over the Roots, where Thus having made one Ridge, you may they may remain unremov'd during the Conmany more as you have tinuance of the Plants: For after this, all the Glaffes for, allowing fix Feet between each Water whichis given to em muft be gently Ridge for a Path to go between them ; which, fprinkled all over the Plants ; andit’s no at the firft making the Ridges, may feem a matter whether any of it falls clofe to the continue to make as great deal, yet after che Vines have run, and Stems: But, on the contrary, the drier they the Sides of the Ridges made up to fupport are preferv'd, the greater Vigour they will em, there will not be above two Feet left have ; forthe Roots, which are the chief Supfor a Path, which is as little as can well be port of ’em, are at this'Time at a muchgreater allow’d Diftance from the Hole, and will receive the Your Plants having made new Roots, and Benefit of the Water much better, when given Put out a fourth Leaf, you fhould nip off all over the Top of the Ridges. 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