December 10, 1868. , 



JOUBNAL OF HOETICULTDKB AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



445 



Sra-kale and Ixlniiarh.—Vat in some more Sea-kale into the 

 Musbroom house, having gathered a lot very good for the soa- 

 Bon, as no treatmeut from takennp plants now will produce 

 the strong heads we obtain in March. Many complaints as to 

 early Sea-kale would he avoided if the heads were cut short 

 enough, say from 4 to '> inches. When they become longer 

 than that they are spongy and watery — in fact, little more than 

 tough skin and liquid. Who will tell us how best to obtain 

 good Ehubarb in the end of November or the beginning of 

 December? We have never pleased ourselves, and suspect 

 that to have it early we must grow it in a place more exposed 

 to the sun, so that the buds will be sooner ripened. We think 

 of having a short row specially for taking up early, as the 

 bulk of our crop is in a shady place where it does well for 

 general purposes. Wo suspect that the position renders the 

 ripening of the buds and roots later than it otherwise would be. 

 At any rate, for two or three seasons our first Rhubarb from 

 plants taken up has not pleased us ; in fact, the second lot 

 often comes in good as soon as, and even before the first. Most 

 likely we have hinted at the reason — at least it seems to us we 

 can hardly expect better success until we change our treatment, 

 hut the subject is worth the attention of many of our corre- 

 spondents. Even now we have no diflieulty, except with the 

 first lot, and we see no reason, if the Khubarb plants are early 

 ripened so as to have a rest, why they should not yield as good 

 gatherings in November as Sea-kale or Asparagus. As to the 

 latter, we will not do much, as we rather overdid our stock last 

 year, and the dry summer and no water at our command pre- 

 vented our young crops progressing as usual. 



Munliroomx. — Our beds in the shed are still producing, and 

 we have spawned the fourth piece in the Mushroom house, the 

 fourth piece bearing well, and the second beginning to show. 

 We have only two shelves in the house, one on each side of a 

 pathway, and these we divide into four or more pieces. The 

 house being a lean-to, facing the north, we would have more 

 shelves, but for the lifting-up the material in baskets, &c. We 

 have on the floor a space equal in width to these shelves ; there 

 we also make some beds, but we are generally more troubled 

 with woodlice, slugs, &e., on these low beds than on the 

 shallow shelves. 



What we introduce the Mushroom house now chiefly for, is 

 to state that the top ventilation for this house is merely an 

 air-brick at the apex at each end, and in such close weather as 

 this, such a small amount of ventilation is not sufficient, espe- 

 cially when every now and then you have to take in fresh ma- 

 terial for fresh beds. Even though we put a little dry hay on 

 the bearing bed, to bring it on more quickly for a definite pur- 

 pose, the hay soon became damp, from condensed moisture, as 

 none will rest on the roof. But for the sake of appearance, this 

 does little harm, but those who eat the Mushrooms might not 

 like to see them coming out from amongst such a damp cover- 

 ing. Sometimes after making a fresh bed we have placed a 

 mat or a cloth over a bearing bed to keep out this condensed 

 moisture. Were we building a house on purpose again, we 

 would have a cowled air-shaft in every 25 or 30-feet length of 

 roof, fixing it near the apex or ridge board. We can give air 

 in the front wall, but in such weather as this, without using 

 fire heat, this would do little to mitigate the evil, and though 

 it may be a prejudice of ours, it is not held without many 

 practical results to confirm it, that keen draughts are not 

 relished by Mushrooms when artificially cultivated. We would 

 even have open gauze to cover the openings in the air-shaft. 

 Unless for a short time, and in such damp weather as we have 

 lately had, our two metal ventilators the size of a brick, one at 

 each end, are enough for what ventilation is needed, as the 

 Mushroom likes a close, moist atmosphere. 



Hoof of till- Muxhroom Ilouie. — This reminds us of our neglect 

 last week in not attending to the request of " one of our oldest 

 readers," who " hates the idea of having a thatched roof, but 

 whose slate roof is exceptionally hot in summer, and cold in 

 winter, and that it only lasts a few years before it wants re-. 

 newal, as the damp gets at the lath and rafters, and rots them 

 in a short time. How proceed with his fresh roof '.'" Thus: 

 have rafters or bearers of the usual size, have thin boards close 

 over the bearers beneath the slates. Before fastening these 

 boards nail on double lath for the plaster, stuff the space between 

 the lath and boards with dry straw before nailing the boards 

 down and slating, plaster inside twice in the usual way. When 

 dry run a little cement all round where the plaster joins the 

 waU, and, as above stated, when the plaster is dry enough, 

 paint all over the plastered roof with boiled linseed oil. This 

 will prevent damp finding its way to lath or rafters, and if the 



BlateB are whitewashed with new lime in a hot dry day, that 

 and the straw and wood together, will keep the roof at some- 

 thing like an equable temperature. In this case we have prac- 

 tised with profit what wo advise. 



Leaves and Dumj fir Hotbeds.— From the many inquirieg 

 that have come to us lately, two things are certain — first, that 

 great numbers of our readers are convinced of the importance 

 of a little bottom heat for many purposes, as helping late 

 cuttings, bringing on bulbs after the pots are full of roots, 

 enticing newly-potted plants to root, whilst the heads of the 

 plants are kept cool ; bringing on Sea-kale, Asparagus, Khu- 

 barb, helping Strawberries in pots, and raising young plants of 

 Cucumbers, &c. In the second place, however, there seem to 

 be more diiiiculties in the making and management of a hotbed 

 than was humorously described by " Macd " some time ago. 

 These difllculties and drawbacks refer chiefly to cases where 

 there is little manure to be had, and there is a wish to make 

 the most of it for heating, as it can all be used, when decom- 

 posed, for the garden. We recollect entering very fully into 

 this subject last year, and showing how much of the dilEculty 

 would be surmounted by working and lessening the bulk of the 

 dung but little beforehand, thus saving labour, time, and mate- 

 rial. When such crops as Cucumbers are contemplated early, 

 it is good, where manure is scarce, to have a one-light box for 

 raising the plants in, and whilst that is going on the manure 

 can be preparing. " Delta " says " He has nothing but stable 

 dung, can calculate on a barrowload per day, and wants a sweet, 

 safe hotbed, with as little trouble as possible." In such a case 

 have a fortnight's manure laid out rather thinly, so as not to 

 heat. Lay out another week's manure separately, and then 

 shake up the first fortnight's into a heap, watering when dry, 

 and covering with long litter. In about eight or ten days turn 

 this heap again, placing the top at the bottom, the outsides at 

 the centre, and the centre at the outsides, and in about a week 

 more it will be sweet enough for use. The second fortnight's 

 dung should also be thrown into a heap, but not turned. The 

 fifth week's dung we would place at once for the bottom of the 

 bed, build the second fortnight's on it, and then the first- 

 prepared dung on that. With a coating of ashes, i-c, seeds 

 may be sown at once. It would be well to delay a few days 

 before placing plants in the frame ; but one of the best tests 

 as to safety is closely to observe the condensed moisture on 

 the bars and glass of the frame. If these drops are brown 

 or yellowish in colour, trust nothing growing in the frame. If 

 they are clear as dewdrops, trust anything and everything that 

 heat will not injure. If you could surface with from 6 to 

 inches of three-parts rotten dung from the centre of an old 

 bed, we would be satisfied with still less preparation of the 

 dung intended for the surface, but without that the once 

 turning at least will be necessary. 



We stated lately that the heat produced from tree leaves 

 can be safely used for any purpose, as it is sweet at once. 

 Hence the advantage which " Eta" possesses, who has rather 

 moredungthan "Delta," and who, from pleasure grounds and 

 other sources, can have several loads of tree leaves. In such a 

 case we would prepare a part of the dung but little, and the 

 most of it less, and cover with a foot of the sweet tree 

 leaves. The sweet covering to keep down all rankness is the 

 great essential, and that secured, it is more economical in every 

 way that the dung should give out its heat as it decomposes 

 slowly in the bed, rather than waste its bulk and its heat by 

 being kept long in a fermenting heap. Of course, we would 

 not for a moment urge such a plan on our great gardeners, who 

 can go to their mounds of fermenting material ; we merely wish 

 to simplify all the diiiiculties of hotbed-making to those who 

 have little material, and to impress on them the simple fact, 

 that from 8 inches to a foot of sweet surfacing will keep down 

 all noxious steam. Treated in a more rough manner than we 

 have described. Cucumber beds made in February continued 

 in good bearing until the middle of October, without even a 

 lining being turned ; but then the beds were made large at 

 once. 



FRUIT GAKDEN. 



Before frost comes, in addition to mulching Strawberries, it 

 would be advisable to stick some evergreen boughs among 

 British Queen, and the tender sorts. It is still fine weather 

 for planting fruit and other trees. Where birds abound, and 

 are destructive to buds, we have found no plan better for 

 bushes of Gooseberries and Currants, than to tie them up hke 

 a faggot, or as nearly like one as that can bo done without in- 

 juring the bushes, and then syringe them with limewash, using 

 an old syringe for the purpose. No better weather could be 



