Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1817-05-13
On The culture of Vines.

| The cuttvationof Pumpkins, squashes, MELONS
and racumbers, is yet very imperfect People
will plant and hoe their grand fathers fathers
and neighbors have done before them, not trusting
TO their own Judgment or being willing to risk the
| least by way OF experiment.
Water MELONS require much heat: you cannot
! Ind too warm ground for them. Sandy loom suits
them best. The best manure for them is hogs dung
aud art worked together by hogs. II should be
| spread and plowed and well pulverized and mix
ed with earth, and good depth. Plant the bills
a good distance, not less than ten feet; let The
ground when the seed is covered be a little lower
| than level with the surface, and when done hoe
ing leave il level and always keep the top of the
ground loose aud free from weeds. The top of the
ground will be dry and will attract the heat Of the
sun, and will cause the earth underneath to be
! much warmer; the dry loose drtis covering and
preventative TO the evaporation Of the moisture
| underneath. The vines will flourish much better
without rain than with ID, unless light and warm.
| A heavy rain will check vine that is growing
| from TO inches day to an eighth Of an inch
Water Melons are cultivated TO great extent
in the vicinity Of New York and Philadelphia.
Some gardeners have acres OF them, and sell TO the
| amount of 5000 TO $4,000.
Musk-Mellons require similar soil and culture,
but will DO moiSter ground, and with less heat,
and do not require so great a,distance as they will
not run to that extent.
CucumberS require similar soil and culture to
MELONS, but can be cultivated TO as goood advan-
| tage on moitter ground They should be at least
six feet distant, one in the bill put no manure in
| the holes 10 any vines as ii il too powerful and
will cause them to witt and die, and the worms to
breed, which get into the stock and root and often
| destoy them. If Cucumbers are attended 20 prop
| eriy thew may be kept ina lourishing and bearing
| state until the frost kills them To 10 that they
must have room to run the ground kept loose and
| free nsweeds and no cucnmbers 10 be suffered to
remain OH the vines while full grown. Insects,
| bugs, worms, Nc. are apt 10 destroy vines when
small. Tobacco stepped and the liquor put on
them Is tue best preventative for the bugs. aud win
! not innre the growth Of the vines, The top or
/ grub worms max be boxed out if they are found to
| be plenty, and destructive,
All vine seeds ought to be spro1tej III the
manner as described in nv last number. The vine
seed is tender, and most liable to fail from cold
rains, or as they cannot be plsnted till late, and
cannot be safely covered Deep the ground is liable
| 10 dry down 10 them before vegetation. 1t is best
not to plant vine seeds until the ground is warm,
they will not grow, and IN meaG time expos
ed to insects, ard get sinted, and viii not flourish
so well as the tate planted planted piece Of
| ground one rod wide and two long, one end with
watermeons, the other With cucumberS it was
I
dung aud dirt mixed the manure was spread and
| the ground ploweJ deep. planted il in bills a.
bout five feet distance: it being an uncommon
year for insects, lost all my vines mot knows
so well how to preserve them) excepting one mel
Ion and one cucumber they happened to stand
near the middle of each rod. ] paid the greatest
possible attention to them gave them all the
ground. | soon found had vines enough for the
ground. They fiourished, branChed, and run in
H.
to Garry the experiment to full extent. con-
tinued hoeng the ground, and when the vines be-
gan to bear Twas careful to pluck of all the Gu
cumbers when young and finding had more than
what large family could make use Of. invited
my neighbours to rake what they wanted but the
vine proddc d mora & in order 10 complete the eX-
pertinent frequently would pluck of peck or q
half bushe and throw them TO the hogs NJ mel
Ions hclrshed quite well when found the irst
mellon about the size of an ounce bail, broke d
off, and in few daysI founs Gie or six More /;
plucked them Off and IN d short lime found TWEEN
ty or thirty more pluckcd = VA off, the vine
IN the mean time hourishing, wonderfully, branch
ing and running in every direction; them con-
cluded il was time 80 let them take their course as
they mig ht be too late plucked oH again. had
fine crop from the vine; they were very numerous
aud large. After making free use ofthem, har
vested Two three bushels besides many that were
lost.
believe it is not known but by few the great
extent Of the roots Gbres on vegetables, partic
ularly vines. | have examined my cucumber>l
when il hourshing state, the vine four feet long,
about half gruwa, and have found 6bres from eigh,
10 ten feet from the stump More yinesshould be
planted in hill than is necessary to stand, aud re-
duced when escaped the insects. Many farmers
are troubled With what is generally called dog
grass, grass of many names ny some 1t i
called fox grass barn grass shaw grass knot grass,
&c 1t generally grows on good warm rich ground,
and most commonly near buildings, in gardens, &C
1t may be subdued bysplowing, and manuring tbs
ground well, and planting and seeding thick with
potatoes aud by good attention IN hOeing and
causing the potatoes TO flourish il may be alb ut all
destroyed in one season. The potatoes growing
steut, thick and heavy, willshadr and overpowef,
and cause il to perish.
BEANS may DE cultivated in way TO produce
ell the season. Let the ground be well prepared :
plant them thin, hoe them as ! have advised foI
vines and suffer one to have It's full grow lh
on the vines They will continue to bloom, -four
ISL and bear till the frost Kills them.
Pertmogtt Oracle.
MARRIED. this town, by the Rev. Tom
as b. Ripley, Mr.. + chard :. Goodhue, Miss
Sarah W. Quincy.