In this fine country, where they all come to perfection in the natural ground, no distinction is made as to earliness, or lateness in sorts; and, in other respects, some like one sort best and some another.



Amongst the Musk melons, the Citron is, according to my taste, the finest by far; and the finest Water melons that I have ever tasted were raised from seed that came out of melons grown in Georgia.

As to the manner of propagating, cultivating, and sowing the seed of melons, see Cucurmber, and only observe, that all that is there said applies to melons as well as to cucumbers. To have melons a month earlier than the natural ground sowings will produce them is an object of much greater importance than to hare cucumbers so much earlier; and, to accomplish that object, you have only to use the same means, in every respect, that I have described for the getting of early cucumbers.

The soil should be rich for melons; but it ought not to be freshly dunged; for that is apt to rot the plants, especially in a wet year. They like a light and rather sandy soil and, any where near the sea, wood ashes, or sopers' ashes, is, probably, the best manure, and especially in dry bottomed land; for ashes attract and retain the moisture of the atmosphere.

It is a great mistake to suppose, that ashes are of a burning quality. They always produce the most and best effect in dry bottomed land. Melons should be cultivated well.

You should leave but one plant in a hill; and should till the ground between the plants, while they are growing, until it be covered by the vines. If the plants stand too close, the vines will be weak, and fruit small, thick rinded, and poor as to flavor.

MINT

There are two sorts; one is of a darker green than the other: the former is called peppermint, and is generally used for distilling to make mint water: the latter, which is called spear mint, is used for the table, in many ways. The French snip a little into their salads; we boil a bunch amongst green peas, to which it gives a pleasant flavor; chopped up small, and put, along with sugar, into vinegar, we use it as sauce for roasted lamb; and a very pleasant sauce it is.

Mint may be propagated from seed; but, a few bits of its roots will spread into a bed in a year. To have it in winter, preserve it precisely like Marjoram (which see,) and, instead of chopping it for sauce, crumble it between your fingers.