Angnet 1, 1867. ] 



JOURNAL OP HOBTIOUIiTURE AND COTTAGE QARDENHB. 



85 



pickling. Wo have failed to secure a good variety of ridgo Cn- 

 cnmber. We have sent for several, but tbey turn out to be 

 notliins? but the Short Ridge, only a little larger than the Gher- 

 kin encumber, very useful, no doubt, in its way, and very good 

 for those who like Cucumbers when cut young — say from 1 to 

 6 inches in lenf:;th ; but what we want to obtain again is a hardy 

 black-spined Ouoimber, that when crisp and young would run 

 from 9 to 12 or 15 inches in length. A hardy Cucumber of this 

 description would be a great aotiuisition to amateurs, who could 

 command a mound of dung, with earth over it, but who cannot 

 well have hand-lights or frames. 



Verjc.tahh- .1/c/rroir.i.— Regulated these a little ; they liave 

 been producing freely for several weeks. In general, wo leave 

 the Vegetable Marrow mostly to itself, and after we obtain 

 an early gathering wo allow it to run and climb as it likes, 

 and then it is sure to produce plentifully, without any trouble. 

 We havo taken the hand-lights from the Marrows, but still let 

 them stand over the centre of the Cucumber pl.ants, as the collars 

 thusl'protected from heavy rains are less likely to canker. 



In cold exposed places, wo do not think there is any better 

 plan for these Cucumbers and Vegetable Marrows, than the 

 trench supplied with less or more of fermenting material, and 

 the earth over it. The hand-light is also desirable at first in 

 cold places, and if these mounds could be made up before the 

 1st of M:iy, then we would advise sowing three or four seeds 

 beneath each glass, instead of transplanting plants raised else- 

 where, towards the end of the month or the beginning of June. 



After trj-ing many kinds of Vegetable Marrows — Wrinkled, 

 Custard, (tc, all very good, no doubt, to those who like them. 

 and can cook them propei-ly — we have fallen hack on the old 

 smooth, long, yellow Vegetable Marrow, and believe it now to 

 be the best, especially when used young. "How young?'' 

 Well, when growing freely, cut them when from 5 to 7 inches 

 long, and about .5 inches in circumference, and with a good 

 piece of the stalk attached to them. "How cook them?" 

 There are many ways. This is how, after instructions from the 

 cook, we managed our first Vegetable Marrows: Gather them 

 with stalks as above ; wash clean, and rub with a soft cloth to 

 make sure. I'ut them into boiling water, and try several times 

 after from ten to filteen minutes, with the point of a fork, and 

 if that goes in easily the Marrow is cooked. Take it out, split 

 it down the middle, rimove the seedy soft part of the interior, 

 sprinkle what remains with pepper, salt, and a littlo piece of 

 butter, and there is a luscious dish for an epicure, too rich for 

 us to nse above once or twice in the twelvemonth. 



Mushrnojiis. — These have been very good this season, the last 

 bed in the house made on the ground has not been so fine as 

 the earlier ones, partly because they were raised on shelves, 

 and partly because the house was frequently warmer in summer 

 than was desirable. The advantage of having the bed on the 

 ground in a shed out of doors is the great equality of tempe- 

 rature enjoyed by the bed, which temperature is more variable 

 in a house. We will take the first favourable opportunity of 

 clearing out the beds in the house, and take care of the pro- 

 ducts too. as, when the spawn is quite wasted, such manure 

 comes in for growing many crops that need the help of sweet, 

 decayed manure. 



The first piece of a bed in the open shed has been earthed- 

 np, and a little litter thrown over it for some time ; the second 

 piece, perhaps about 11 inches deep, is just spawned and well 

 beaten down. It was thus made : A layer of about (J inches 

 of rough strawy litter at the bottom, which would bo com- 

 pressed by the weight over it into 3 inches ; then every eight 

 days or so we added about -1 inches of short litter and drop- 

 pings from the stable, in about equal proportions and mixed, 

 all the longer litter being shaken out. This lay loose for a few 

 days to become partially dried, and then was trodden or beaten 

 rather firmly, and therefore it did not heat violently. Another 

 and another layer were added in the same way,' but if the 

 weather was wet, and the dung from the exposed dunghill wet, 

 we spread it and partly dried it in a shed before using it. In 

 addition to this, if very wot, wo threw it into a heap to heat 

 and dry itself by fermentation. We did this to secure the com- 

 fortable dryness, though aware we thus lost some of the fertilising 

 properties. Wo often do this with the last layer, from which 

 we take more of the litter, r.nd, therefore, have more droppings 

 in it ; and one reason for heating this last layer is, to kill tlio 

 Oats that otherwise would grow, and it is as well to have 

 nothinggrowing on the surface of tho bed except the Mushrooms. 

 In these layers we often throw a littlo turfy dry loam — say a 

 twentieth part of tho whole, or even more, up to a twelfth 

 pait. 



By such a plan tho bed never heats violently, and the less 

 it does BO the longer will it maintain a genial heat of from 

 70' to 8(J . When the top layer is well beaten, and tho heat is 

 declining to less rather than above 80°, wo insert tho spawn 

 and beat all over. It is safest to have the heat on the decline, 

 for if it rise much higher it is apt to injure the spawn, and 

 if it does not rise high enough it is an ea.sy matter to add a 

 couple of inches of droppings, heated as already stated. 



So much as to one part of our practice, in answer to a corre- 

 spondent who wants to know tho best and easiest way to make 

 abed. We may add that we put about 1 J inch of fresh soil over 

 the bed, when there is no danger of over-heating, generally a 

 few days after spawning. We know of no simpler and better 

 plan where the proprietor of the bed has only the droppings of 

 one or two horses to go to. They might be put thinly on 

 tho bed every day until the last layer, or saved in a shed 

 for a week or ten days. Sucli beds ought to do well if the 

 spawn is good and thej' are not injured from over-heating. 

 We often make them with far inferior materials. We havo 

 often made the bulk of stubble, long litter, and tree loaves, 

 separately or combined ; but in all such cases we liked to have 

 from 2 to •! inches of droppings with only a little litter, or good 

 half-decayed dung, on the surface. A bed so made in an open 

 shed last August has been yielding frequent gatherings up to 

 within a week, and it will be removed to make way for our 

 last out-door piece this season, and then we commence with 

 our house-beds. These, when shallow, should be of the best 

 materials — that is, more droppings. Our beds on shelves 

 there — mere wooden spars for a bottom — always do best, that 

 is, better than beds on the ground, and that we attribute to 

 being able to give them more easily the temperature they like 

 and their greater freedom from woodlice. We are rarely 

 troubled with woodlice in our shed-beds, even in the greatest 

 heat of summer. Our shelf-beds in the house when finiuhedt 

 earth and all, will be about 9 inches deep in front, and 12 inches, 

 or a little more, at back. Kor constant supply we like these thin 

 beds. It takes little to make them, and they are, if anything, 

 more sure than large deep beds, though the latter ought to last 

 longer, and they generally do. Once more: Guard against 

 extra dryness and extra moisture in the materials, and over- 

 heating in the bed, audyou secure the chief elements of success. 

 You can always add heat by covering. 



We will gladly answer any question, for even to enter into 

 every minute detail according to ciioumstancea would take 

 half a number, and articles that thoroughly exhaust the subject 

 have been given to suit different cases. We have said little 

 on the matter lately, as though we are learning something fresh 

 almost every day, it does not do to harp too much on one 

 string. 



FBCIT DEPAItTUENT. 



Managed to go over tho most of our fruit trees, fore-shorten- 

 ing and summer-pruning, leaving only a few shoots as yet 

 unstopped to carry on growth and prevent the plump buds, 

 which we wish to mature and retain, running oS into shnder 

 wood shoots. The wet day or two enabled us to thin wood 

 and fruit in the late orchard-house. In the latter, by a mistako 

 as to syringing, a little red spider was showing itself for the 

 first time, aud soap and sulphur washings were resorted to, we 

 hopo in time. By early closing one house we shall gain our 

 object as to having a succession of crops. Our Peach-honse is 

 not yet quite empty, and the fruit in the first orchard-house is 

 swelling freely. We havo given all the trees a good soaking 

 with manure water, having just stirred the surface soil for half 

 an inch or so to let the water in freely. Proceeded also with 

 pricking out in the bed alluded to last week, and layering in 

 pots Strawberries for forcing. 



ORXAJIF.NTAL DEPARTMENT. 



In addition to mowing, sweeping, rolling, tying, and regu- 

 lating, potted a number of plants intended for autumn and 

 winter, and took tho opportunity of .striking Pinks, planting 

 out those struck along with Antirrhinums, Canterbury Bells, 

 Sweet Williams, so useful for early cutting, and Pansies for 

 lato blooming. Wo also proceeded with tying up I>ahlia3, 

 securing Hollyhocks (and time, too, for the wind and rains were 

 telling on theml, ond other tall herbaceous plants. Alas! for 

 the Roses, Friday almost destroyed the beauty of all those in 

 bloom. All shrubs intended to bloom in winter for balls 

 should now be potted firmly in rather small pots that the pots 

 may be crammed with roots before the end of autumn. Most 

 likely we shall have fine sunny weather alter these rains, and 

 in that case the pots of Azaleas and other tender plants out of 

 doors should be protected from the sun heat. The top, in 



