FARM AND GARDEN.

Lake County Press, Issue 2159, 7 March 1907, Page 7

FARM AND GARDEN.

ORIGINAL ARTICLES. The Melon— Early Cultivation— Usas in various places—Providing a delicious liquor—When injurious Differences between large and small— Varieties—The Cantaloupe—Description— Other varioties Tho Persian Tlio Cucumber—Native of tun East In<iiei:— Its cultivation in Engh.ud—C icumbjrs for Bhow—Varie' ise. The melon is tho riche."': aid rno c ' L!.a! 'j flavoured of all the fleshy fruita. It i< ot n said to bo a native of the centra! parts of Asia and to have been fit <t brought fr at Persia, but tho date of its f!-sh culture is 30 remote that there is no certain ki'Gv.\e<g-? on the subject. Meloaa are grc vro in Enxls-id

: and France as a luxury, while in some ?»ri* of tho East they are used as a chief necessary of life ; several sorts of pumpkins and melons grow naturally there, and servo feeding camels; but the proper melons aie planted in the fields, where a great variety of them is to bo found, and in such abundance that the Arabians of all ranks use tbem for some part of the yoar as their principal article of food. They also afford a very agreeable liquor. When the fruit is nearly rips a holo is pierced into the pulp, this hole is then stopped with wax, and the molon loft upon the stalk. Within a tew days tho pulp is, in consequence of this prooess, converted into a delicious liquor . Although the melon is a very delicious fruit, it is not one of the most wholesome, more especially in cold climates or during very cool weather in warmer regions, where, if eaten in any considerable quantity, it is apt to derange the stomach unless corrected by warm and stimulating ingredients; and the same remark may be applied to tho cucumber. Small melons are, when equally ripe, more highly-flavoured than large ones. In general however the fruit is chosen as much for show as for use, and thus the largo ones are preferred. Indeed, in almost all the cultivated fruits and vegetables quality is very apt to be sacrificed to appearance—as iD the markets tho articles are bought by the judgment of the eye, and not by that of the palate. To obtain the larger size a ranker manuring and higher culture must be resorted to than are altogether consistent with the natural development of tho juices of the plant. Of the melon there are many varieties and the number of them is constantly increasing. Tho Cantaloupe is ono of the best. It obtains its name from a property belonging to the Pope not far from Rome, where it was probably first cultivated in Europe, and whence it has spread into most countries. Tho Cantaloupe is of a middling size, nearly round in form, and remarkably rough and irregular in tho surface. Tho colours both of the surface and the flesh vary; tho former fro:a orange mottle I with green to green mottled with black, and tho latter from white, or nearly so, to orange tinged with ro-:o colour. The flesh of somo varieties is greenish, but thc3o are inferior to the others. When melons of this sort are equally ripened it may be considered a3 a general rule that those which are darkest on the outside, most richly tinted iu the flesh and of a moderate size, have tho most high and musky flavour. There is also a small African or Egyptian melon, the flesh of which is green, of a particular excellence. The Romana is also a fine melon, and it ripens earlier than tha Cantaloupe; tho surface is aho often netted. It is of an oval shape, highly flavoured and, when good, very heavy and solid. The Persian is a beautiful melon of excellent quality. It is spherical, smooth, and of a fine golden colour. The flesh is white, very sweet, and in consistency resembling the water melon. Tho Persian preserves its qualities, though it is very large, and with good culturo specimens may bo had weighing eoven or eight pounds. The small Portugal is a very early and productive melon, but not remarkable for flavour. The rock melons are thickly set with knobs; they are of various colours, and somo of them of vory fine flavour. Tho oblong ribbed is marked into segments from the root to tho crown ; it is very productive, and tho flavour is so high that it is sometimes called, by way of eminence, the musk melon. Moro recently another variety has been introduced, with a smooth ribbed skin of an emerald greeu colour and tho flesh of a salmon colour, very sweet and delicious flavour. There aro many varieties of melons, and the number of them is constantly increasing. The cucumber is an annual plant, a native of tho East Indies. In England it is cultivated generally and extensively in forcing frames and in the open air, and in great quantities near large cities. In Hertfordshire whole fields are annually seen covered with cucumbers, without the aid of manure or glass, and the produce is sent to London for pickling. A village in Bedfordshire has been known to furnish ten thousand bushels of pickling cucumbers in one week. In the the cucumber has been very extensively cultivated from the earliest periods, as well as most of the other species of gourd. Somo cucumbers are cultivated for their fantastic shapes, of which the snake is remarkable for its great length and small diameter ; but it is of no value except for show. Eor raising cucumbers in the open air, a warm border is chosen exposed to the sun, previously well manured and prepared for the purpose. The seeds may be sown about the middle of August in climates similar to that of Sydney, but somewhat later-in colder climates. To secure early cucumbers tho plants should be raised in a frame or hot bed two or three months previous. There are many varieties of cucumbers, and though cuoumbera are extensively used they are not esteemed a very ***•» article of food. TOWN GARDENING. Summer bedding plants, especially Zidwl*, their tncoloured and variegated allies, Cilccohtrias, aud other strong growing kind*, are now in their heyday of vigorous growth ; hence it has beeu truly said,'As the nigl't lengthens their growth strengthens.' ThU lends to tho fact, unless very hot sunshinu and ilry weather prevails, all aro likely to blnoni better during what remains of cummer weather without further artificial waterings. "We draw attention to this fact, knowing how handy hose is iu town gardens, and the temptation to use it if the surface soil appears at all dry. All vigorous growing plants aro moro likely to bloom batter for the rest of the season if they have moderately dry surroundings; hencft we would discourage artilicial aids of the sort ' Calceolarias aro making remarkably fine bloom displays in tho suburbs, though it is cioubtfal ir they will keep up a good succession of the s ;nii'. Aid tho:n in this regard by reinoviog all old flower sf.ilkx as soon as the il >wi-rs lose their colour and become shabby. Remove al.-o all decaying blooms and discoloured leaves from >;i! other bedding plants, also here and the.•« any over sized leaves forming upon Zonn;.-', so as to main l&ia beds with plants united in pleasing rounded contour as a whole, ami by freer admission of direct a> to the centres of the plants help and orourajo blocm spikes to form and protrsde.