Laying a cucumber or melon-bed with tiles, is also of particular service in improving the fruit, and giving it a proper flavor.
1102. To prevent the irregular Growth of Melons.—It is well known that melons frequently, in certain situations, lose their circular form, and grow larger on one side than the other, and that those misshapen fruits are always bad. To remedy this, take a small forked stick, in proportion to the size of the melon, and thrust it in the ground as nearly as possible to the tail of the fruit, taking the precaution to lay a little moss between the two prongs, and suspend the melon to this fork. In a few days the melon will resume its form, when the fork may be removed, and the operation is finished. The quality of the fruit remains unchanged.
1103. Easy Method of producing Mushrooms.—If the water wherein mushrooms have been steeped or washed be poured upon an old bed, or if the broken parts of mushrooms be strewed thereon, there will speedily arise great numbers.
1104. To obtain a good Crop of Onions.—In order to obtain a good crop of onions, it is proper to sow at different seasons, viz., in light soils, in August, January, or early in February; and in heavy wet soils, in March, or early in April. Onions, however, should not be sown in January, unless the ground be in a dry state, which is not often the case at so early a period of the season; but if so, advantage should be taken of it.
1105. The Advantage of sowing Peas in Circles instead of straight Rows.—It is a great error in those persons who sow the rows of tall-growing peas close together. It is much better in all those sorts, which grow six or eight feet high, to have only one row, and then to leave a bed ten or twelve feet wide for onions, carrots, or any crops which do not grow tall.
The advantages which will be derived are, that the peas will not be drawn up so much, be stronger, will flower much nearer to the ground, and in wet weather can be more easily gathered without wetting you.