954 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



PRIMULA MALACOIDES. 



The accompanying illustration is simply a specimen of 

 a large group of Primula malacoides seen growing at 

 the Oaks, Morris Plains, N. J., where E. Yeandle is gar- 

 dener. 



Seed should be planted in a good mixture of loam 

 leaf mould and lots of good sharp sand. From the time 

 the plants come up they are kept growing as steady as 

 possible and as cool as the weather will allow. It is es- 

 sential to keep pots clean as Primulas are more apt to die 

 from dirty pots than from any other cause. Do not 



A SPECIMEN PL.\NT OF PK1MUL.\ M.M-.MJOIDES. 



permit any drip to fall on the leaves, as this will stunt the 

 growth. 



Seed was sown May 20, and tjie jjliotograph was taken 

 January 5. 



GROWING MUSHROOMS OUT OF DOORS. 



Mushrooms can be grown successfully out of doors 

 as they can in houses or under the protection of sheets : 

 but it is a crop that the grower must take special pains 

 in preparing for, or failure will be the result. Mush- 

 rooms may be grown in meadows by inserting pieces 

 of the spawn in the turf at distances of about 6 to 7 

 feet apart. The proper way to do this is to cut a hole 

 about 1 foot deep and 1 foot wide in the turf, taking 

 care to save the top sod to place down again, says John 

 Gall in Canadian Horticulturist. 



Fill up the hole with fresh horse manure and the 

 short, littery straw which accompanies it in equal 

 quantities. The manure should be exposed to the 

 weather for a fortnight for the purpose of drying, and 

 must be protected from rain. .'\t the end of this period 



put it up in a good-sized heap to ferment. Open it out 

 in about eight days to let out foul steam, then put up 

 again for eight days, and open afterwards in the same 

 manner in another eight days. The manure then will 

 be ready to place in the holes and the spawn can be 

 inserted in it. 



When filling the holes with manure, bear in mind 

 that room must be left for the sod to be placed back at 

 the same level as it was before. Press the manure into 

 the holes as hard as it is possible to do so, and always 

 bear in mind it must be in a fairly dry condition. 



Break each cake of spawn with the hands into about 

 a dozen equal parts, burying one piece in the manure 

 in each hole, using also the fragments which may hap- 

 pen to fall from the pieces. Plant deep enough to al- 

 low a quarter of an inch of manure to cover the spawn ; 

 then place over the manure half an inch of the soil 

 which came out of the hole, pressing it hard down, 

 and finishing by placing the sod of earth with the grass 

 on back in its place, treading it firmly down. The best 

 time to do this is in the month of July. 



For mushroom beds out of doors the manure is pre- 

 pared in the same manner, but it must be from corn- 

 fed horses. The beds should be placed in some well- 

 sheltered, shady position, as mushrooms are difScult 

 to produce during the summer months on account of 

 the heat then usually prevailing: therefore, have the 

 beds placed where they can be kept shady and cool. 

 They should be built in round-topped ridges 2j^ feet 

 wide and the same in height. 



In building, tread down as firmly as possible. In- 

 sert a thermometer in the bed about 8 inches deep as 

 soon as it is completed. The heat will probably rise to 

 about 90 degs. F. in the course of about nine days, 

 after which it will begin to fall. Immediately it falls 

 to 75 degs. it will be time to spawn the bed. 



The spawn should be prepared in the same way as 

 for the turf, and the pieces inserted 10 inches apart all 

 over the surface of the bed. The beds must be pro- 

 tected from rain by covering with straw, mats or some 

 such material. In the course of a week after the spawn 

 has been inserted it will start to run, meaning that tiny 

 white threads will radiate from it into the manure, and 

 a sort of mildewy mould appear round it. It will now 

 be time to apply a coating of loamy soil to the surface 

 of the bed to the depth of about half an inch when 

 well beaten down hard with the back of the spade. 

 The work is now completed, excepting that the bed 

 must be kept dark and protected from rain by being 

 covered over. 



I have found it a good plan to place a thermometer 

 on the surface of the bed under the covering. An ef- 

 fort should be made to keep the temperature as nearly 

 as possible to about 60 degs. F. If it is found below 

 this figure, more covering must be added ; if above 

 this, some must be removed. The beds should be un- 

 covered in about five weeks' time, brushing away any 

 mould or dirt which may have gathered on the sur- 

 face. If the soil should at any time appear dry, give 

 the bed a watering with tepid water (not cold), and 

 cover up again as before. In about ten days' time 

 mushooms will make their appearance in good num- 

 bers. 



When gathering mushrooms, do not cut the stalks, 

 but give each one a gentle twist with the fingers, pull- 

 ing up with it the whole of its stalk and the small 

 pieces of roots usually attached to it. If a constant 

 supply of mushrooms be desired a new bed should be 

 made up about every six weeks. Your first bed should 

 be readv for spawning early in July. 



