These are found growing at present even in the cemeteries. “Des melons d’eau qui végètent çà et là sur ces tombes abandonnées, resemblent, par leur forme et leur pâleur, à des crânes humains qu’on ne s’est pas donné la peine d’ensèvelir.” Chateaub. Itin. i. 27. These fruit are considered so innocent in the Levant as to be given to the sick in fevers. Chandler, i. p. 77. Footnote 1417: Colum. De Cult. Hortor. 234. Footnote 1418: Sch. Aristoph. Acharn. 494. Footnote 1419: Athen. iii. 1. Footnote 1420: Chandler, i. 317. ----- Lettuces[1421] were blanched by being tied a-top, or being buried up to a certain point in sand.[1422] They were, moreover, supposed to be rendered more rich and delicate by being watered with a mixture of wine and honey, as was the practice of the gourmand Aristoxenos, who having done so over-night, used next morning to cut them, and say they were so many green cakes sent him by mother Earth.[1423] ----- Footnote 1421: See Strattis’s Invocation to the Caterpillar. Athen. ii. 79. Theoph. Hist. Plant. vii. 2. 4. 5. 4. Footnote 1422: Geop. xii. 13. 3. Pallad. ii. 14. 2. Footnote 1423: Athen. i. 12. ----- The Greek gardeners appear to have delighted exceedingly in the production of monstrous vegetables. Thus, in the case of the cucumber, their principal object appears to have been to produce it without seed, or of some extraordinary shape.[1424] In the first case they diligently watched the appearance of the plant above ground, and then covering it over with fresh earth, and repeating the same operation three times, the cucumbers it bore were found to be seedless. The same effect was produced by steeping the seeds in sesamum-oil for three days before they were sown. They were made to grow to a great length by having vessels of water[1425] placed daily within a few inches of their points, which, exciting by attraction a sort of nisus in the fruit, drew them forward as far as the gardener thought necessary.[1426] They were made, likewise, to assume all sorts of forms by the use of light, fictile moulds,[1427] as in the case of the citron. Another method was, to take a large reed,[1428] split it, and clear out the pith; then introducing the young cucumber into the hollow, the sections of the reed were bound together, and the fruit projected itself through the tube until it acquired an enormous length. It is observed by Theophrastus, that if you steep the seeds of cucumbers in milk, or an infusion of honey, it will improve their flavour.[1429] They were, moreover, believed to expand in size at the full of the moon, like the sea-hedgehog.[1430] A fragrant smell was supposed to be communicated to melons[1431] by constantly keeping the seed in dry rose-leaves. To preserve the seed for any length of time, it was sprinkled with the juice of house-leek. ----- Footnote 1424: Geop. xii. 19. 1, sqq. Pallad. iv. 9. 8. Footnote 1425: Plin. xix. 23. Pallad. iv. 9. 8.