138 



IRISH GARDENING. 



f^F.PTEMHKR 



J,'OOd 

 parts 



li loam in tlio propoilion of (Ini'i- of four 

 I'lvc of niaiuiro. 



Sonu' market jjrowers use cow inamiro to mix witli 

 the stablo mamire(iii tin- proportion of oiu> to six), ami 

 others use tan that has been lyini; in a heap for some 

 time. Wlien tlie latter is used (he proportions are also, 

 we believe, usually one to six, and it is said iliat mush- 

 rooms rather like the presence of the tan in tlie Inil. 



Having- prepared the material for the bed the next 

 point is where to make it. An underjfround cellar is 

 considered the best place, but any cool, damp outhouse 

 will answer. They can even be made in the open air in 

 ridges about three feet wide at the base, and steeply 

 sloping upwards. If the bed be made under cover it 

 need not be made deeper than eighteen inches or two 

 feet of compost well trodden down and made level on 

 the surface. Care must be taken to water the compost 

 if it appears to be 

 too dry. 



When the interii;il 

 temperature of the 

 bed reaches from 

 80= F. to 75° F. it 

 should be spawned. 

 The "bricks" are 

 broken up into 



I 



pieces 



iboul two 



Mlshroom Plant 



g tlie interlacing cords of mycelium that feed and live under-grou 

 developing "mushroom" produced from llicni. 



inches square, ami 

 inserted from nine 

 to ten inches apart, 

 just below the sur- 

 face of the bed. 

 .After planting the 

 spawn the bed must 

 be immediately cov- 

 ered with a layer 

 one or two inches 

 thick of fine loam, 

 carefully beaten 

 down with the back 

 of a spade, making 

 it even all over. 

 Finally, a covering 



of straw of about six inches deep is tj be placed 

 over the whole exposed surface, and the operation 

 is then complete. In order to keep up a uniform 

 moisture in the air it is advisable to syringe the 

 walls and floor with water about twice a week. In 

 about six weeks time the young " buttons " may be 

 expected to begin making their appearance. When they 

 do the straw should be carefully removed and the bed 

 watered with soft tepid water (go" F.), after which the 

 straw is to be relaid unless the bed is in a dark place, 

 in which case it will be unnecessary. 



By following these directions intelligently and observ- 

 ingly any one may secure a good crop of mushrooms. 



C^ tpW ^ 



The flowers, still faithful to the stems. 



Their fellowship renew ; 

 The stem is faithful to the root 



That worketh out of view. 

 And to the rock the root adheres 



In every fibre true. — Wordsworth, 



Sweet Peas at the Show. 



r will be readily admitted that tin- exhibit of sweet 

 peas at the .Autumn Show of the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society on the 23rd ult, was one of its 

 most distinctive and attractive features. True, there 

 were exquisite roses, dahlias and begonias such as are 

 rarely seen, gladioli of excellent quality and magnifi- 

 ceiue of colouring; but when one stood at the entrance 

 of the huge lent and caught sight of the double staging 

 of sweet peas running the whole length of its 120 feet 

 it was something not easily to be forgotten, and seemed 

 to form the foremost attraction to the crowds that 

 attended the show— one of the best shows ever held 

 by the Koyai Horticultural Society, and far better 

 aitciKiecl than is usually the ease. Fortunately favoured 

 with a fine al'ter- 

 noon. so rare during 

 the present season, 

 I lie ladies donned 

 liieir gayest attire 

 anil made a brave 

 show in the charm- 

 ing grouiulsof Lord 

 Iveagh's, so kind'y 

 lent for the exhi- 

 bition. Pink shades, 

 of course, predomi- 

 nated among the 

 sweet peas, gradu- 

 ating from the deli- 

 cate blush of Mrs. 

 Hardcaslle Sykes to 

 the deep carmine ot 

 John Ingman and 

 M a r j orie Willis. 

 Helen Lewis, with 

 its slightly orange 

 shade, was very 

 id, and the fine ; it maintains its 

 great size, perfect 

 position of the 

 .-ombinalion of shades which 

 rcaled such a sensation when 

 It seems to improve each year 

 no exhibit is complete without it. 



blooms, ami the beaulifu 

 were so remarkable and 

 it first appeared in 1905. 

 in all these qualities 

 It is somewhat difficult to grow owing to its requiring a 

 certain amount of shading in sunny weather— not too 

 much— for then its shades become dull and uninterest- 

 ing, so when it is shown in all its perfection the judge, 

 knowing the difficulty of culture, gives it a high mark. 

 The same may be said of almost all the orange and 

 scarlet shades, though some are claimed to be sun- 

 proof. A dull, showery season like the present seems to 

 suit such kinds best, which may be the reason that here 

 and in Scotland these varieties are exhibited in best 

 condition. John Ingman, too, is one that cannot be 

 omitted from a first-class exhibit ; rather mixed when 

 it first appeared it has outstayed those other rivals— 

 E. J. Castle and George Herbert— which ran it so 

 close, and, like Helen Lewis, it seems to improve every 

 year. One could not help noticing the absence of 

 striped varieties at the show. "What good are they 



