1+8 



IRISH GARDFNING 



it is easy to maintain a moist, even temperature. 

 Where there is widtii enoug'ii a bed should be 

 made on eillier side witli a path between ; ot 

 course, two beds are not essential. The beds 

 should be about two and a half feet deep and ot 

 the same composition as already recommended 

 for out-door beds ; in fact the whole culture is 

 practically the same as advised for out doors. 

 The beds need not be ridge-shaped, but may 

 slope from the walls to the path, and be about 

 three to four feet wide. Preparing the bed ani.1 

 spawning should be done just as previouslx' 

 advised. The structure should be damped 

 down with tepid water several times a day, 

 especially in hot, dry weather. Where a special 

 mushroom house is provided there will be 

 shelves fixed round the walls on which beds can 

 be made up. These shelves should be at least 

 (bur feel above the ones underneath. A hoi 

 water pipe is generally laid round the house, 

 but only occasionally will it be found necessary 

 to employ heat from it. The temperature ought 

 never to exceed 65 degrees ; from 5^ to 60 

 degrees is more suitable. Rather than have to 

 force fire heat to keep up the temperature, place 

 a lot of fresh horse droppings in the pathw.i\- 

 and turn them dailv ; this will create a nii.e 

 gentle warmth in the house. When gathering 

 mushrooms never cut them with a knife, but 

 twist them round carefully, and trim the ends 

 afterwards, |as the old stump if left in the ground 

 ilecays and destroys any possibility of more 

 mushrooms springing from that particular spot. 

 Woodlice are very partial to mushrooms. 

 Boiling water poured down their haunts in the 

 evening will greatly assist in eradicating this 

 pest and do no harm to the beds. Slugs must 

 be looked for at nights, and mice, which are 

 often very troublesome, must be trapped or 

 poisoned. 



e^ «^* fl^* 



We recently had the pleasure of seeing some sprays 

 of Achillea "Perry's White," and note that it li.is 

 received an award of merit from the R. H. S. on 

 .Sept. loth. The double form of .•\chillea ptarmica, 

 known as "The I'earl," is a jjeneral favourite for the 

 border and for cutting ; the new comer is an improve- 

 ment in size of flower, and of the purest white, so 

 should be welcome. It is said to grow thne feet liitjh, 

 and bloom from June onwards. Mr. Perry of Knfield, 

 the raiser, is sending out plants next spring. The 

 forms of this Achillea run like couch grass under the 

 soil, so need care as to the place in which tliey are 

 planted, so that weaker neighbours will not suffer. 



Late Flowering Shrubs, 



H> .1. W. Hesam. 



IT is a common complaint against shrubs 

 that they all flower early in the year, and 

 for the remainder are didl and luiinterest- 

 ing. To the true gardener any plant remains 

 interesting though not in flower, providing that 

 during some period of the year it merits cultiva- 

 tion either for its flowers, fruit or foliage. 

 There are some shrubs which maybe interesting 

 to botanists though never, in the general 

 acceptance of the term, sliou>. 



Most owners and managers of gardens, how- 

 ever, require shrubs which are attractive, and 

 hence the quest for late flowering kinds, which 

 will with free fruiting sorts aiul .lulnmn-linleil 

 foliage make the woodland and shrubber\ 

 beautifid in the tail of the year. 



.Some ot these late flowers come Ironi 

 countries where the summers are longer and 

 hotter than ours, therefore the shelter antl 

 warmth of a wall are necessary to bring- them 

 into flower. This, of course, depends a good 

 deal on locality, as some wliich need this pro- 

 tection or assistance in one coimly may not 

 require it in the vales of Wicklow or on the 

 sunn}' slopes near the sea in Down or the 

 southern counties. 



An inspection of ;i good collection oi shrubs, 

 sav in the middle of September, will surprise 

 those unacquainted with the extent and varieU 

 in cultivation at the present time. The follow- 

 ing may be of interest to any who contemplate 

 adding to their collections during llie ensuing 

 planting season. 



.\liella chinensis, native of China, a prett\- 

 shrub bearing attractive pale-pink or nearly 

 white flowers late into the autumn. 



.-\rbutus Unedo, the various forms of which 

 have been referred to previously, begins to open 

 its waxy, bell-shaped flowers in September, and 

 continues all through the winter. Special note 

 should be made of .\. Unedo Croomii, which is by 

 tar the best of all for ordinary purposes. 



Bigeloviagraveolens is an uncommon j-ellow- 

 flowered shrub from western North .\merica, and 

 flowers in .September. The flower heads are pro- 

 duced in clusters towards the ends of the 

 branches, which are also furnished with narrow 

 silvery leaves. 



Carvopteris mastacanthus belongs to the 

 \'erbena order, and h.ails from t"hina and Japan. 



