February 29, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENEK. 



187 



most beautiful gi'ounds of any botanic gardens in the Uuited 

 Kingdom. My object in writing to you is to bring before your 

 subscribers information which in years gone by would have 

 been very useful to myself ; for, being an ardent lover of flowers 

 and fond of cultivating them, I was exceedingly desirous of 

 Slaving early-blooming plants in my garden, and succeeded in 

 that respect in fai' surpassing all my neighbours iu a wealthy 

 aeighbourhood ; but the spring-blooming plants I then knew 

 •were few in comparison with those I have this day (Feb. 24th) 

 seen in blossom. — P. N. W. 



Arabis albida 



blephai'ophylla 

 Aubrietia grandiflora 



deltoidea 



grseca 

 Anemones 

 Armex-ja latifolia 

 Ai-butus Amli-achne 

 "Bulbocodiiim vemum 

 Cheu-anthus Cbeii'i 



multiflora 



scoparius 

 Cai'damme rotundifolia 

 Cowslip 

 Ctocus bifolia 



Tenuis 



susianus 



liiteus 

 Cyclamen 

 Dorouicum caucasicum 



colnmnie 

 Erodium bymenodes 



mediterranea 



ai'borea 

 Pai'setia clypeata 

 Tenzlia dianthiflom 

 -Ganja elliptica 



Galanthus plicatus 

 Geutiana acaidis 

 Hepatica, various 

 Helleborus atro-mbens 



pm-pm-ascens 



olympicus 



orieatalis 

 Iris reticulata (stritingly beautiful) 



Iberis 



Laurustinus 

 Leucojum vemum 

 Lonieera Staudiabii 

 Litbospermum orientalis 

 Matthiola graeca 



fenestralis 

 Milla uuiflora 

 Muscai'i bnti-yoides 

 Blezerei-n 



Ompbalotles vemum 

 Orobus vei-nus 

 Oxlip 



Pansy, yellow 

 Plilox proctimbens 

 Petasites lobata 

 Pyras japouica 

 Pulraonaria grandiflora 

 Polyanthus 

 Potentilla alba 

 Primula amcena 

 Eibes album 

 Rbododendi-on prfficos 

 Saxifraga crassifolia 

 oppositifolia alba 

 pm-purea . 

 Symphitum officinale 

 Scilla sibiiica 



bifolia 



prsecox 

 Snowdrop 

 Tritoma media 

 Viola odorata 



Yellow Jasmine 



MUSHROOM CTJLTUEE. 



Have the clung in good order, neither too dry nor too wet, 

 nud keep it about a hundred days to allow of its getting cold. 

 Iu making the bed beat it thrice, the harder the better, and I 

 jilways hare the dung beaten very small before heating, as 

 then the heat is more lasting than would otherwise be the 

 ■case. With the last lot of dung to go on the bed I always mix 

 loam, as then the spawn runs better. 'WTien the bed is made 

 I insert a di'ain-pipe in the middle, put a thermometer in it to 

 «how the exact heat, and when the temperature is 70' or 80° I 

 place the spawn on the top of the bed, cover it with 2 inches 

 of hot dung and loam, and beat down hard. Some people 

 cover the bed with straw or hay ; I do not, as I find it answers 

 much better without anything. Keep the air of the house at 

 ■do' or 70' and moist, and in six or seven weeks there wiU be 

 Mushrooms fit for use. If the bed becomes too dry, supply 

 water of the same heat as the bed. 



In taking the crop cut as you like. I cut mine with about 

 an inch of stem. Three days after cutting look at the old 

 stems, and you will find them moulding at the soil; if they 

 are allowed to remain they will spoU many good Mushi-ooms ; 

 take them between the forefinger and thumb, give them a 

 twist, and they will come off easily without spoiling the others. 

 By this management I have as good a bed as one could see. 

 Do not allow even a drop of rain to reach the dung. — J. W. 

 ■Cbowood. 



[There are good ideas in your communication, but on the 

 whole " much cry and little wool." First, with regard to 

 having Mushroom dung in preparation for a hundred days. 

 A\Tiy, with the roughest material we would often have a heavy 

 first crop and a second bed coming on in that time. Secondly, 

 with respect to the beating of the dung so small before heating, 

 we convinced ourselves more than thirty years ago that it is 

 ■worse than a mere waste of labour. We would rather keep the 

 good properties of the dung. Thh-dly, as regards not putting 

 any covering on the bed, it is a matter to be regulated by cir- 

 cumstances. In a regularly heated house it is not retpiii'ed. In 

 the open air or in open sheds the covering is indispensable, 

 perhaps not so much with the view of securing a crop as for 

 getting the crop when you want it. It is a poor result to 

 obtain Mushrooms in six months when you want them in six 



weeks. Before spawning the thermometer is useful, but any 

 gardener will know the heat by a mere trial-stick inserted 

 in the bed. The mode of gathering wUl always be a disjjuted 

 matter. Some twist and some cut, and where there was a good 

 bed we could never discern any difference iu the result. It 

 is better not to use too large pieces of spawn, nor to place 

 them thickly together, and then the Mushi'ooms do not come 

 up in such large masses as to render the gathering difficult. 

 Ever since we received lessons of economy from a man cook 

 we have been careful to send Mushrooms with almost every 

 bit of stalk. He showed us a dozen large preserving-bottles 

 filled with Utile bits of the stems of Mushrooms, and these 

 for most pui-poses were just as useful as small button Mush- 

 rooms. — K. F.] 



LYCOPODS. 



When a regular supply of plants is required for room-de- 

 coration, Lycopods are indispensable. They possess charms 

 pecuharly theu' own, and then' pleasing shades of green en- 

 iiance the beauty of all plants with which they are associated. 

 The gardener who has a well-grown collection to choose from 

 for the purpose indicated, has at his command an acquisition 

 that cannot fail to be of service to him, and impart pleasure 

 to those whom it is his duty to please. 



The culture of the majority of Lycopods is simple, and 

 might be summed-up as follows : A regular supply of moisture, 

 shade from the du'ect rays of the sun, a still atmosphere, and 

 good di'ainage. This is appUcable to both greenhouse and 

 stove species ; neither will succeed well if exposed to scorch- 

 ing sunshine, a dry airy atmosphere, want of water, or bad 

 drainage. The size that Lycopods can be grown to is Kmited 

 only b}' the room at the disposal of the cultivator. Large pans 

 of Lycopods ai'e very beautiful, and for special purposes it is 

 desu-able to have-a few such ; but for general usefulness small 

 plants are iireferable. Their most important use is edgings 

 to vases and baskets, and as carpeting to other plants used 

 in the decoration of rooms ; and for both jjurposes small 

 plants are superior to large masses. It is best, therefore, to 

 grow a number of the more useful varieties in small pots, say 

 from 2 to 8 inches in diameter. The former will be found very 

 useful, and the latter is large enough for most purposes. Those 

 growers who have only a greenhouse will find April a good 

 month to repot them. Where there is a \'inery repotting can 

 be done in March, as in most cases the Vines will theu be re- 

 cei'iing assistance from fire heat ; and the additional tempera- 

 ture and moisture of the vinery will assist the Lycopods to 

 establish themselves with greater certainty of future weU-doing. 

 In repotting, use clean pots, both inside and out, and be care- 

 ful to drain them properly, remembering that the plants will 

 require daUy supplies of water ; and if the drainage is imperfect, 

 the soil will soon get sour, and the plants cease to thrive. A 

 few days previous to repotting, have the fresh soil taken into 

 the structure where the plants are growing, so that it may get 

 warmed, and be in fit condition to receive them. 



All the greenliouse Lycopods wiU grow well in a mixture of 

 fibry loam and leaf mould, with sufficient silver sand and 

 pounded potsherds added to keep it porous. Let the loam be 

 rather rough — the plants will do aU the better for it being so. 

 When ready to commence repotting, turn the plants out of 

 their pots, and divide them into the requisite number of pieces, 

 taking care in the case of the branchiug varieties, such as 

 SelagineUa stolonifera, to secure a piece of root with each divi- 

 sion. FiU the pots with the compost desciibed, and press it 

 rather firm, keeping it a httle higher iu the centre of the pot ; 

 then with a stick for the purpose make a hole in the centre, 

 and insert a division of Lycopod, around which, towards the 

 edge of the pot, insert as many pieces as maybe thought neces- 

 sary to form a symmetrical plant. When potted, place the 

 plants in the least airy part of whatever structure they are to 

 stand in, but in such a position as they will not be exposed to 

 hot air from the hot-water pipes or fines. Give them a good 

 watering through a fine rose, attend to the directions ah-eady 

 given, and in due time you will be rewarded for your care. 



For the benefit of those who may not be acquainted with 

 Lycopods, I append the names of twelve that can be success- 

 fully grown in a greenhouse. SelagineUa apoda, Moss-Uke 

 habit, very beautiful ; S. MartensU, close habit ; S. flexuosa, 

 small branching fronds, pretty; formosa, very close habit, a 

 most useful variety ; S. WUdenoii, handsome di-ooping Fem- 

 Uke fronds; S. cordifoUa, grows about 6 inches high, vei-y 

 elegant ; S. Schotti ; S. denticulata, will grow almost any- 



