An Extract of M. Dela Quintiny's Letter, Written to the Publisher in French Sometime Agoe, Concerning His Way of Ordering Melons; Now Communicated in English for the Satisfaction of Several Curious Melonists in England

year after, according to what he hath said in his Book of the Systeme of Saturn. An Extract Of M. Dela Quintiny's Letter, written to the Publisher in French sometime agoe, concerning his way of Ordering Melons; now communicated in English for the satisfaction of several curious Melonists in England. I shall now answer to that particular of your Letter, which concerns Melons, as exactly as I can. All the Seeds, I sent you, produce Melons with a thin and somewhat embroider'd skin, not divided by Ribbs: Some of them have their skin whitish, others of the Colour of Slate. The Melons themselves are not very great, their flesh very red, dry, melting upon the tongue; not mealy, and of a high taste. And these are the two onely kinds, which, after I have tried above an hundred different sorts, I make use of, and send you, not having observ'd any change in them, after the use of 20 years. As to the manner of cutting them, you know, that the first thing appearing of them, are two Leaves united, here called Ears (mark't in Figure IV. by 1,1.) Out of the midst of these two Ears there shoots, some days after, first one Leaf, which we call the first Leaf or Knot (mark't 2.) and out of the same place, after some days more, shoots a second, call'd the second knot (mark't 3.) Out of about the midst of the Stalk of this second knot shoots the third knot (mark't 4.) And this third knot it is, which must be cut at the place markt 6. without hurting the branch of the second knot, whence this third came; because that from that place will spring a branch, which we call the first Arm; and this Arm will shoot forth first one knot, then a second, then a third; and this third it is, you are to cut again in the same manner, as was said before. And you must be careful to cut these third knots, without staying for the shooting of the fourth or fifth ones. You'll see out of every knot come forth Arms or Branches like to the first, spoken of before; and it is at those Arms, that the Melon will be produced. And they will be good, if the foot or root be well nourish't in good earth, and cherish't by a good hot-bed and But let the foot of the Melon never pass into the dung, nor the earth be water'd but moderately, when you see it grows too dry, so as the shoot might thereby suffer; which yet you must not delay, till it happen, lest the remedy come too late. I water twice or thrice a week in very hot weather, and that about Sun-set; and I cover my Melons with a Straw-mat from eleven of the Clock in the fore-noon to two in the after-noon, when the heat of the Sun is too violent, and too quickly consuming that little moisture, which is necessary for the root. And when it raineth, I cover also my Melon-garden, lest too much wet hurt my fruit. There is some subjection in this, but 'tis also a pleasure to thrive in working by Rule. If the root produce too many branches or arms, cut away the weakest of them, and leave none but 3. or 4. of the strongest and most vigorous, and such as have their knots nearest to one another. When I transplant my Melons from the Nursery-bed, I put commonly two roots together, except I find one very strong, which I then plant alone, cutting from it neither of the branches that shoot from each side (mark't 7.7.) betwixt the one Ear and the Leaf before spoken of. But when I joyn two roots together, I quite cut away both the branches, that shoot from the two Ears, standing one over against the other, to avoid the disordering abundance of branches; which also would wrong the foot. The Melons being knit, I leave but two of them upon each foot, chusing those, that are best placed, and next to the first and principal Stalk, that is, to the heart of the foot. I also take care, to leave none but fair ones, and such as have a short and thick tail. The foot also of your Melon must be short, well truf'd, and not far distant from the ground. Melons of a long stem, and having the stalk of the Leaf too long and slender, are never vigorous, and cannot yield good Melons. It happens sometimes, that at the very first there shoot out from between the two Ears, two Leaves, though I above spoke but of one; but this happens but seldom; and when it does, such two leaves must be reckon'd but for one knot; and afterwards there will shoot out a second, then a third, &c. and so on to 25 or 30, if you be not careful to cut in time: And it is at the extremity tremity of those branches so distant, that Melons will grow; but they cannot be good, because they are so far from the place, which affords them their nourishment; and their Juice is alter'd by the length of its passage through the branches, which the Sun spoileth; whereas the foot of the Melon being short and well truss'd, there are always leaves covering the branches and even the Melons themselves, until they be near ripe. Too great heat parches them too much to take nourishment well; and this you must take care of. He that is curious, must every day walk often in his Melon-garden, to cut off all the branches, which he shall observe to be useless, or hurtful. You'll find of them to shoot forth almost to the Eye, and they are capable to alter all, if it be not remedied in time. I must not forget to tell you, that from the midst betwixt the two Ears and the two first Leaves there shoots out yet one branch more, which ought to be kept, if vigorous, but cut, if weak. In the Figure I have mark'd a Leaf with 5, shooting out from the midst of the fourth knot: I might have mark'd more, coming forth successively from one another, as you see the fourth come from the third, &c. We may perhaps the next Moneth impart to the Reader another Letter from the same Generous and Intelligent person, upon the same Subject. An Account of two Books. I. Renati Franc. Slusii MESOLABUM. SEU Duae medie Proportionales inter extremas datas per Circulum & per Infinitas Hyperbolas vel Ellipses, & per quamlibet exhibita. Ac Problematum omnium Solidorum effectio per easdem Curvas. Accedit pars altera de Analyse, & Miscellanea. Leodii Eburonum 1668, in thin 4°. The Argument the Title declares to be the same with that in the Geometry of the famous Des-Cartes, viz. That Ancient Probleme of finding two Means, or Doubling the Cube,