The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1857-05-27

CULTURE OF THE MELoN-There is no fruit
that enters so largely into the daily consumption
of our people as the melon, and none that seems
to be SO little understood or appreciated in its
culture. A tine favored water or musk melon
should not be planted within one hundred yards
of any other melon, or any of the melon family.
! Gourds, squashes OF cucumbers should never be
planted in the same garden or field with mel
ons, for the volatile nature of the pollen of each
will MIX making hybirds of the next genera
! ton, given the melon a gourdy, squashy flavor,
and softening the shell of the gourd. The
melon delights in a sandy soil, and to have them
in their greatest perfection, the ground should
be deeply spaded or b-soil plowed. The hills
should be about ten feet apart. The water
melon vine is very subject to injury from water;
heavy and long continued rains give the vines
the appearance of having been sealded, hence
the necessity of planting on hills instead of on a
level. Holes should be excavated and filled in
with well rotted manure, with mound made
over the manure at least twelve inches higher in
the centre than on the outside; on the centre of
this mound, plant the seed, plant some six or
eight, and when they have four leaves, thin out
to three plants in hill AS the vines begin to
run, branch and bloom, pinch out the terminal
bud, which will throw the whole vigor of the
vine into the young fruit. ust set as the fruit
increases in size take off all but one to branch
and allow but one melon to ripen on one branch
vine:
An overloaded melon vine produces but in
feror fruit. The cultvator should bear in mind
that the roots of melon run just as fast and far
as the vine extends, and the practice of laying
back the vines over the hills. is very injurious
r., fIo H.. l.
broken too deep before the vines began to run,
but tits positive injury to the vine for the plow
to 60 three inches below the surface, over which
the vine has already run. Great care should
be taken in handling the vines when working
among them with the hoe. For every tendril
broken or bruised on the vine, the fruit is re-
tarded in its maturity. Keep the ground clean
around the vines, and as fast as the vine elon-
gates branch, peg it down, that the winds
may not blow them about and break them. If
the striped bug is troublesome, mix one portion
of guano or two of gypsum, and dust over the
vine when the dew is on-the bugs will quick
ly depart.
The first melons that set on the vine will ma
ture in four weeks from the time of setting.
The second settings in about three weeks. As
the season advances, they will mature in less
! than three weeks. Fine crops Of melons arc
made by using brush for the vines to run on,
and cling to- The seed of the first melon that
rpens should be saved for the next seasons
planting, providng,i it grew where no other
other member of the melon family could inn
pregnate it. Cotton Plant.
AN Acr-For the relief of William L. Full
lilove, and Elizabeth A. Foster, his wife, of the
parish of Caddo:
Be it enacted by the senate and house of rep
resentatives of the State of Louisiana in gen
eral assembly convened That William L. Full
| lilove, and Elizabeth A. Foster his wife, of the
parish of Caddo, be, and are hereby, released
and relieved, any laws to the contrary notwith-
standing, from all the legal disabilities result
ing from their marriage, to make contracts
with each other or with any person or persons,
and that they and each of them, are hereby
authorized and empowered to make contracts
with each other or with any other person or
persons in relation to their separate dotal, par
aphernal or community, property OF otherwise,
and any such contract or contracts SO made
shall be held as valid as though the same had
been entered into previous to their marriage:
Provided, however, that any such contract or
contracts shall be executed by notarial act, and
shall be duly recorded. And provided further
that nothing herein contained shall be so con-
strued as to affect the rights of existing cred=
tors or forced heirs.
Be it further enacted, &C., That the agree
mentsentered into by the said William L. Full
| lovc and Elizabeth A. Foster, his wife, and
the division and settlement of the community
rights and property made between them in the
month of January, 1857, with the assistance
and in the presence of their mutual friends,
|
Gatn, and f. S. Harrison, whereby the said
parties determined and settled the respective
rights of each in all property, rights, and cred
be, and the same is hereby, declared valid and
contrary Notwithstanding: Provided, however.
the said parties do, within ninety days after
the passage of this ac:, ratify and confirm tn is
agreement and partition by notaral act.
Be it enacted, &c, That this act shall take
effect from and after its passage.
| FALSE EDUcATIoN.-T The very early breaking
down into invahdsm of our American women
is the sub ject of frequent remark Our young
maidens are, as class, beautiful but delicate,
and hardly do hosts of them get out of their
teens, before they become more or less the
victims of disease Several of our cotempo-
raries we perceive, are calling attention to one
cause of this evil, viz: the overworking of
girls at school. Where the blame of this is to
be laid We are not prepared to say. We doubt,
however, whether it is all to be put at the
doors of the teachers, for we have heard many
of them lament it, especially those having
charge of public schools. The dociIity, love
of appreciation and emulation, quite character
istic of the sex, taken in connection with the
early age at which they are seated at the.
desk, and the early age at which they arc
called from their studies, may account for much
of the error. Not only the acquisition of the.
common branches of education, but likewise
the acquisition of thousands of minor accom-
| plishments, is crowded into few years, and
| this, too, with premature entrance, oftcntimes.
into the excitements of society. Natural con-
sequences Of this are headaches, crooked spincs.
disordered nerves, weak eyes, debility, chron-