per swell. When a melon has nearly attained its size, then, however, a full sun is necessary to ripen it.

As to cutting the fruit, if it is to be some days before a melon is to be eat, (as when carried to a distance) it should not be quite ripe. Its ripeness is known by the high colour, strong odour, and the cracking of the footstalk; and if they give not a full and pleasant scent, they will not prove good. *Always cut melons in the morning, and if fully ripe, they should not be kept more than two or three days. If a melon is cut before it is ripe, ('tis said) it may be ripened, by wrapping it close up in cloth, and placing it in a heap of warm horse dung for twentyfour hours. But the better way would probably be, to treat them as unripe medlars, which article see, in Sect. 17.

A SECOND CROP of melons is to be had, by sowing (in any other hot-bed, or one made on purpose) from Mid-March to the beginning of April, according to situation, as in a favourable one the sowing may be ventured on the later. These must be brought up as before, till stopped, and then ridged out; i. e. when about a month or five weeks old. The method of which ridging is, to make a trench in the ground four feet wide, and deep according to the soil: If the ground is dry, it may be from a foot to two feet deep, or otherwise but a few inches. Lay in hot dung full two feet and a half thick, being well shook and beat together with the fork. This trench must be of length according to the number of plants designed to be put out. For each hole (which should be full four feet asunder) put on good melon earth, laid up in a round hill, to fifteen or eighteen inches high; and then lay the earth, thrown out of the

trench, to the sides and top of the bed, about three or four inches thick, breaking it fine, and cover all over with mats to draw up the heat: But never expect ridged out melons (particularly) to do well in a light soil. When the earth is warm, put in the plants, two in a hole (or only one) giving a little warm water, and cover with large hand or bell glasses, or oiled paper lights, and proceed to manage according to that discretion which the directions already given about melons and cucumbers have inculcated.

As the bed sinks, and the roots spread, take care to add a good thickness of mould around the hill, for the plants to strike into, and to keep them up: This may be put in a week or ten days, and it will keep out cold air and wet from the dung: but it is best not done at first. When the plants spread to the extent of the bed, the ground about it should be dug over, and rotten dung buried to raise it to the level of the bed; but, perhaps, this work has been superseded by the necessity of a lining to throw in

heat.

If the plants are forward enough to ridge out in April, or beginning of May, it may be proper to make these beds on the level surface, or nearly so, for the sake of lining; but if later, they may be sunk as directed above, or deeper still, in a dry soil. Remember, it will be necessary to line, if there appears any likelihood of a want of heat, before the fruit is set, and got a little forward; and be sure to do it in time.

If two ridges of melon plants, let there be four feet (or more) of alley between them, and then a lining may be applied of that width to heat both beds; and this middle heat may be made use of to raise plants for the third crop of cucumbers, or tender annual flowers, purslane, &c. Give ridged out plants air on the south side. They will need more

water when in the ridges than in frames, and give it wide, but little about the stem, or hardly there at all; nor let it be applied cold, though a small degree of warmth from the sun, or otherwise will do. This crop need never be shaded but when the leaves hang. When the plants cannot be contained under the glasses, let them be carefully trained out, and covered with mats all over on nights, and on days, in bad weather, till July; guard against much rain.

With large oiled paper frames this work of the second crop of melons may be very well managed. The plants should be kept under hand glasses till too big for them, and then the paper lights may be put on, which containing the runners till high summer, they will be safe. Yet these covers, being set upon bricks, may be kept always on; but let the fruit, that happens to be without side, be covered with a small hand glass, which will help to ripen it. Let the lights be protected from injury in heavy rains, by laying some cloth, or mat, over; and towards the close of summer, guard the plants well against much cold on nights.

A THIRD CROP of melons may be sown (in favourable situations) towards the end of April, or beginning of May, if the former crop was sown about Mid-March, and this is to be proceeded with in the same manner as the second. When September comes, (as was observed) late melons must be preserved, as much as possible, from cold and wet, that they may ripen. To this end, glazed frames may be used over all, or at least hand glasses put over each fruit, covering warmly up with mats on nights. Those melons that do not ripen may be used for mangoes, and make good ones.

SECTION XV.

OF ESCULENTS.

THE USEFULNESS of esculent plants, as serving for the food, health, and pleasure of man, is pretty generally acknowledged; and that they may not fail to answer these ends in the best way, let them have every attention; and that, not only in their cultivation, but in their preparation for the table: Let there be no slight put upon the bounty of PROVIDENCE in ordaining them to our use, by an unnecessary preference to other foods. "There was a time, (says an old physician) when bread and herbs (with a little fruit) were the only dainties wherewith the tables of the greatest voluptuaries were spread."

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Vegetables and fruits were our innocent, primitive, and natural food; but men's depraved appetites have substituted the shambles; yet, after all, the inventions of the most luxurious and voluptuous epicure, the most Cæsarian tables would want of their magnificence, noble gust, and grateful relish, without fruit and the productions of the garden, which gives the true condiment, and most agreeable closure to all the rest.”

"Their use is, all our life long, of that universal importance and concern, that we can neither live nor subsist in any plenty, with decency or convenience, or be said to live at all without them: whatsoever contributes to delight or refresh us, are supplied and brought forth out of this plentiful and delightful store of the garden."-Reflect on this!

It should be a rule to gather vegetables of all kinds (designed for the table) in the morning, before

much sun has shined on them, and lay them by in a cool place till wanted, being then well picked and clean.

ALEXANDER is a culinary plant, formerly much used, but has given way to celery; like which it is blanched (which do a foot high) for use in soups and sallads; the seeds are best sown in drills two feet asunder, and thinned to six or eight inches distance, though they may be sown at broad cast and transplanted. Spring sown plants come in for autumn, and autumn ones for the use of spring.

ARTICHOKE, there are two kinds of, the globe and the conical. The latter is the hardiest, but the former is generally preferred, both for size and flavour. Artichokes are propagated from rooted slips, or offsets in April, taken from the mother plant, by drawing the mould aside. As they require a rich soil, and are stationary plants, dig a good quantity of dung in completely below the roots for them to strike into, breaking the soil well with it.

Be

The head of the artichoke is valuable according to its size and substance, and therefore to a good soil, add good room for though they may be planted nearer, yet they would do much better in rows six feet asunder, and three feet apart in the rows. tween these rows may be propagated several sorts of spring or early summer crops. They will reward the trouble of being regularly watered in dry weather; suffer them to bear only one principal head. Fresh plantations should be made every third or fourth year, to have them in perfection. Every year that they stand after planting they should be dug deeply. round, and some well consumed manure applied. Cut the heads when the leaves begin to expand, and before the center opens for flowering; and let them