Fobrnnry 20, 1868. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTUUE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



151 



by steamer, at 50s. ; 2,500 boxes cheese, by Bteamer, at fiOs. 

 J)ei" ton. For GlaBgow, 100 tea. lard, by steamer. For 

 a port in the United Kingdom, a briij, with 21,000 bualicls 

 corn, at 7s. per quarter. For Havre, 65 hhds. tallow, at Ihl. 

 peril)." 



Doubtless, those whom tho " Wiltshire Eectok" mentions 

 as having gone abroad with a little capital, and having spent 

 it, were prodigal sons, who wasted their money in riotous 

 living, and were ashamed to confess it, turning their faces 

 homeward without ever looking for a day's work. Or else, 

 perhaps, some of them were " gardeners by profession," who 

 without any experience whatever as to difference of climate, 

 put all tlieir small capital into a piece of land bought at a dear 

 rate, and went to work to make a living out of it, but before 

 the experience was gained, the money was all gone. I must 

 confess, though, that generally they manage to make some- 

 body else pay for their experience. For instance, I myself 

 helped to pay for one fellow's instruction last summer. He 

 <;ame early in the spring, and wanted me to give him a job. He 

 said he had worked fourteen years for a Mr. Edmonds, near 

 London, and told me he understood all about the business; 

 that he had been hero some time, and knew all about the 

 climate. He talked so well about what he coulj do, and was 

 so desirous of a trial, that I agreed to give him wages amount- 

 ing to Gs. C)d. aday in English money, a man to help him, and 

 the control of the chief part of the garden. He procured what 

 seeds he wanted, and was all ready to begin operations, but he 

 did not quite like the shape of the spade, and some of the other 

 tools. I got other spades and tools until he was pretty well 

 satisfied. "Now, John," said I, "have you all you need'?" 

 Only one thing more was wanted, he was to have all his own 

 way, as tho splendid results he promised could only be obtained 

 by his being perfectly at liberty to do what he chose. This 

 privilege I conceded, not with great readiness, however, but 

 fitUl wUling to make the necessary sacrifice in view of the 

 benefits to be obtained. Once or twice only I was about to 

 make a suggestion or two, but recollecting the promise of non- 

 intervention, I kept silence, and allowed the "fair trial" to 

 go on. 



A pretty business John made of it. The mind of man can 

 hardly imagine a more dismal failure. With the exception of 

 the Eadishes and the Peas, none of the vegetables we had 

 proved worth the price of the seed that was sown, and the time 

 required to sow it. The early Cabbages have not headed yet, 

 and as this was expected to happen last June, and it is now 

 midwinter, it may be fairly said that they never will. 



One day .John came to me and said he thought he ought to 

 have some " llowers." 



" Why ! " said I, " John, I never knew yon cared anything 

 for flowers. I never see you looking about the greenhouses." 



" Oh, not those llowers," replied John, laughingly, " Cauli- 

 flowers I mean. We gardeners call 'em flowers in the old 

 country for short." 



So he set out several hundred plants, " to be sure of having 

 enough." " Well," thought I, " what in the world shall I do 

 with such a lot, unless I sell them'? At any rate I'll send some 

 regularly, as long as they last, to the rector of the parish, to 

 Captain Jim, and all my other friends." To my sorrow I record 

 that all this forethought was wasted, for not a single Cauli- 

 flower came to anything but leaves. 



At last, one fine afternoon, John came to me and wanted to 

 know if I would pay him what he had coming to him, as he 

 wanted to go to New York, about thirty miles distant, and put 

 his money into the savings bank. He would be back on the 

 following day, he thought. 



"John,'' said I, as X handed him his money, "it is lucky 

 for you that you are not obUged to take your pay in vegetables. 

 Is it not?'' 



John gave a feeble smile, but made no reply. He never 

 came back. About a week after he left, I said to one of our 

 ■men that I thought it rather strange John had not returned 

 yet. The man laughed and told me he " guessed " John was 

 " kind o' discouraged, and not coming hack no more." It was 

 even so. Several months have gone by ; but I still think of 

 him at times, and mentally give a quiet blessing, remembering 

 that we are told to bless and curse not. 



So this is the way of it. If John had come from England 

 with some money to spare, he would, no doubt, have gone to 

 work on a piece of ground of his own, and have wasted his 

 money for himself, just as he wasted mine forjme. 



In this country any iudustrious labouring man is sure not 

 ■only of a good living, but of something more ; and, with us, the ( , 



idea of a man studying economy to the extent of depriving 



himself of the comfort of a pipe of tobacco, is simply ridiculous. 

 It any man can do more than an ordinary labourer, he can also 

 obtain additional payment for this knowledge. Many a young 

 follow who has in England only swept out tho greenhouses, 

 and carried soil and pots, comes here as a " professed gardener," 

 undertaking the care of Orchids, stove plants, or anything else 

 that may come in his way. How many notable examples o£ 

 this could I give, were not my letter already too long. But let 

 any gardener who really understands the care of a good col- 

 lection of plants come to the United States, and ho may be 

 sure of a good place and rapid advancement. Very many, if 

 uot most of the best florists in this country, men who are 

 living not only in plenty, but in aflluence now, are English, 

 Scotch, or Irish, and little capital did many of them bring to 

 these shores, except shrewd heads and willing hands. 



As some may think that I over-estimate the advantages of 

 living in this country, I make this offer. I will give a house 

 rent free, and two guineas a-week to any sober, industrious, 

 first-class gardener who desires to try his fortune in our far-off 

 land. He must thoroughly understand the care of Orchids, 

 stove, and greenhouse plants, and must bring a recommen- 

 dation for capacity from Messrs James Veitch & Sons, or soma 

 other parties equally reliable. The above wages I do not consider 

 high, but I am not really in want of any more help, and make 

 the offer merely in proof of good faith. I will make this 

 arrangement for one year at least, and as a further proof of 

 sincerity will deposit ten guineas in the hands of Messrs. 

 Veitch & Sons, to be held by them until the year expires. — 

 George Such, South Amboy, New Jersey, U.S.A. 



MUSHROOM CULTURE. 



I SEND a few Mushrooms merely as a sample of the produce 

 obtained by a mode of culture somewhat different from the 

 general practice. 



I make the bods 1 foot deep in front, with a slight rise at 

 the back, and in three layers, the middle one of fresh droppings 

 from the stable, the bottom and top of droppings prepared ia 

 the usual way. The top layer is rather dry than otherwise. Aa 

 soon as the bed is made and well firmed, the pieces of spawn 

 are inserted 1 foot apart, level with the surface, with a slight 

 spriukhng of loam. The bed is then earthed, watered with 

 sufficient warm water to wet the soil through, and sprinkled 

 two or three times a-week to keep it from becoming dry. 



Till the beds come into bearing, and even while in bearing, I 

 give a gentle dewing if the surface shows signs of becoming 

 dry. With a temperature of from 50' to 55°, the beds generallj 

 come into bearing in five or six weeks. 



I have used short litter and droppings shaken from the dung 

 heap after sis months for the bottom and top layers with 

 equal success. — G. Er>GERT0N, Strawberry Hill. 



[The Mushrooms were an example of very successful cul- 

 tivation. They were very crowded, and being of various sizes 

 insured a succession. — Eos.] 



GALVANISED WIRE TRELLISES. 



I CAN confirm Mr. J. Douglas's opinion as to galvanised wire 

 injuring fruit trees, having had some Peach trees tied to gal- 

 vanised wire, and they cankered at every place where they 

 touched the wire. The same result occurred to some ycun£ 

 Vines tied to galvanised wire. They -were similarly cankerecl 

 at every place that touched the wire. 



I have never tried galvanised wire out of doors ; having ex- 

 perienced such bad results, I should never think of trying it 

 again in any way. — W. SniTON, Scrivdsby Court Uarde7ts, 

 Ilorucustle. 



In the gardens at this place there are upwards of 150 yards 

 of wall furnished with galvanised wire, to which Peach, Necta- 

 rine, Apricot, Pear, and Plum trees are trained. I have never 

 observed any injurious effect caused to the trees by it, and it 

 has now been in use upwards of thirteen years. I have heard 

 it stated that it will injure trees if used iu-doors, but of that I 

 have had no experience. — H. Petrie, JilsJiam Uall, 



Allow me te add my experience of tho efficacy of galvanised 

 iron wire strained to walls for the purpose of training trees. 

 lu ISIM and succeeding years I was engaged in superintend- 



