lO 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTtTRE AHD COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



r Jaontry 3, 18GS. 



shed are still prodncing ijfcfolly. There are unmistakcable 

 sigue that in many famihcs Mushrooms are becoming as much 

 au everyday a£fair as Parsley, and it is a sad thing to be short 

 of the latter. Wlienevcr scarcity is threatened it is a good 

 plan to fill some pots and boxes, and place in the houses, or 

 liU a frame or part of a frame with it, with a little gentle heat 

 under it. It is advisable to have one of these modes to fall 

 back upon, as respects Sorrel, Fennel, Tarragon, Burnet, Cher- 

 vil, and especially Mint, as, after Asparagus comes in. Mint is 

 often wanted, and Iamb, however great the delicacy, is nothing 

 without it in the estimationof a connoisseur. Mint is a particular 

 thing in some places, with us it lives only a short time, unless 

 fresh plantations are frequently made. 



It is well to notice, that in taking fermenting materials into 

 a Mushroom-house, for first producing heat and then getting 

 prepared for forming a bed, besides the annoyance of extra 

 steam, to which reference was made lately, there is the possi- 

 bility of taking in slugs and snails, and mice with the litter, 

 which is not so likely to be the case if the material has been 

 prepared, well heated, and thus dried in a shed. The heating 

 makes these insects start, and therefore, though we thus lose a 

 a portion of the enriching power of tlie dun;;, we gain in more 

 freedom from vermin. We have not yet noticed the nibbUng 

 of mice, but several bonnet-headed Muslirooms have been 

 holed by snails. These may be trapped with greased cabbage 

 leaves, and, better still, by a little brewer's grains laid in a 

 heap ; but the most eflfectual mode is to take a candle and 

 lanthom, and look over the beds and walls any time from ten 

 o'clock at night to three o'clock in the morning. The snail 

 seems to know instinctively the darkest and quietest hours. 

 We have never seen them so large as in a Mushroom-house. 

 We have taken some that looked like small adders, and almost 

 as beautifully spotted. Such soon render useless a lot of Mush- 

 rooms if allowed to have their way. 



As occasion offered, went on stirring the ground amongst 

 yonng crops. Gave plenty of air to young Radishes, but they 

 scarcely move in the dull foggy weather. We would have pro- 

 ceeded with shght hotbeds, but the huaricane took away most of 

 ourtree leaves, and until the shooting is over we must not go near 

 the covers. A good stock of tree leaves is a great acquisition 

 for a garden, as their mild heat enables us to bring many things 

 forward ; but for them we should have been at a standstill in 

 all departments, as, without their aid. the dung from three or 

 four horses would scarcely have sufficed for Mushrooms, let 

 alone the wants of the kitchen and flower gardens. 



We have as yet done little digging or trenching. In general 

 we like the surface to be frosted lirst ; but in such a mUd 

 season as this we would not have waited for this, if a press of 

 other work and alterations had not caused the delay. All stiff 

 clay soils, whether merely turned up one spit deep, or two or 

 three spits in depth, would be the better of being ridged up in 

 furrows, and the clearer these furrows show the mark of the 

 spade the more will the frost act upon them in (^battering them 

 to pieces. In light soils it is better to leave the surface rough 

 but iiat. as, if ridged up, the soil would get too fine, and there 

 would be a want of firm holding power for the plants. For 

 gardening-purposes the soil cannot be too deep ; and the shal- 

 lowest soil will soon be deepened if, in trenching, the subsoil 

 is broken either with spade or pick, left where it was at first, 

 and at the next trenching a little of it is brought up and in- 

 corporated with the staple. It is wonderful how a thin hungry 

 soil may thus be deepened and improved, especially if there is a 

 good rubbish-heap of decaying vegetable matter to go to. Such 

 rubbish-heaps of all refuse vegetable matter will be greatly im- 

 proved if short grass from lawns and a little htter be placed 

 below them in summer and mixed with them, and a Uttle earth 

 be thrown over aU. The grass, A-c, will cause the whole to fer- 

 ment kindly, and the earth wUl keep in all the fertihsing gases. 

 Wherever dimg is scarce much must depend on the goodness 

 of the rabbish heap, and evervthing that will rot and decay 

 should be carefully husbanded there, except seed weeds, or what 

 will be best disposed of in the charring and burning heap. Many 

 of the remains of vegetables would come in useful at the farm 

 for pigs, A-c, to nibble at, and at least amuse themselves ; and 

 when dung can be had in return, a fair exchange is all right ; 

 but when it is supposed that it is waste to let manure from the 

 farm find its way into the garden, then every hit of vegetable 

 should be kept in the rot-heap to help to produce other vege- 

 tables. When spent quarters are to be cleared, it is not a bad 

 plan to dig them, or rather trench them down, and then they 

 rot and give off their manuring properties slowly; but in this 

 case they often prove a feeding place for gardeners' enemies in 



the gromid, and in general it will be found preferable to rot 

 them in the rubbish heap, kept covered with earth whenever 

 there is an escape of gases, in other words, whenever there is 

 tlie heat from active decomposition, and the heap will be all 

 the more valuable from this heating and earth -covering. A part 

 of the heap already decayed may bo used for throwing on the 

 surface ; a little salt and lime will also be useful if added to 

 the heap ; and so for all soils not aboondiug in calcareous 

 matter would be all kinds of lime mbbiab. On chalky soils 

 the application of calcareous matter in any shape is generally 

 of little avail ; but there are many places where strong loam is 

 resting on clay, and a great depth of chalk below the chiy, and 

 in such cases the bringing up the chalk and surface-dressing 

 with it is often of great advantage. If spread on the groimd 

 before frost it will generally be shattered and broken enough. 



FECTT OAUDKN. 



Merely a repetition of previous weeks ; have shut up the 

 Peach-house, and put a little tire on just to move the plants 

 gently. For temperature in various houses, see memoranda of 

 a fortnight ago. 



ORNAUENTAt, DEPABTSrEKT. 



The chief trouble has been to keep damp from late-struck 

 Geraniums, and other bedding plants in cold frames and pits. 

 For several reasons, the chief an anxiety not to disfigure fine 

 beds and borders, our cuttings were unusually late this season, 

 and the damping of the foUage has been rather troublesome in 

 cold pits and frames. It is better every way to place them in 

 a house where a little fire heat can be used. No greater mis- 

 take can exist than the supposition that gardeners can have 

 their own way in this respect, even in " very tidy places." 

 Such a mode has suited us hitherto, and "We want no change " 

 is often the re]>ly to plans that have cost consideration and 

 trouble. That is no reason why every one should not try to 

 obtain what would be the most suitable, as exemphfied in the 

 letter and plan of a Cucumber-house, given by Mr. O'Donnell 

 at page o"24. Such a house is far hefore a lean-to pit. If 

 mostly above the ground level, and fully half of the sides of 

 glass, it would bo better still. One advantage of the plan 

 given is that the beds are the width of the path.s from the 

 sides, and therefore receive more hght from the roof in winter. 

 The lobby and double door are a great advantage, especially in 

 winter. But, notwithstanding all these advantages being made 

 apparent, many, very many, must do what they can with flat 

 lean-to pits, or, perhaps, still flatter frames. Unless greatly 

 elevated at the back, no common frame or pit with the same 

 inclination receives any direct hght, or rays from the sun, for 

 nearly half the width in front. More hght, and the chance of 

 giving a little help from fire heat, are of great advantage for 

 most ornamental plants that are gromi in pots. 



In such places, and in all houses kept cool, no watering 

 shoidd be given unless absolutely required. The moisture in 

 the air has generally been sufficient where no great amount of 

 artificial heat was given. Bulbs that have now filled their pots 

 w-ith roots may be gradually forced, but the heat should be 

 raised by degrees — say Hyacinths beginning at 45 , and rising 

 in ten days to 55° and 60° ; Tulips not quite so much ; and 

 Crocuses should seldom be above 50' with artificial heat if it is 

 desired to have the coloturs bright. Narcissus will stand as 

 much heat as Hyacinths, but when coming into bloom the 

 tempcratiu-e should be gradually lowered before they are taken 

 to the greenhouse or window. Hyacinths when showing their 

 bloom-stalks will often be better of a pot or a paper funnel 

 placed over them, to draw up the stems, to give the florets 

 room ; but in all cases as the bloom opens the plants should 

 have all the hght possible. Placing them in the middle of the 

 room, on the top of the mantelshelf, or on sideboards, is an act 

 of cruelty which, if the poor bulbs could speak, they would soon 

 tell us all about. Hardy shrubs brought forward in heat should 

 have the temperature gradually reduced before they are taken 

 into a much colder place ; and all shrubs that are to be forced 

 should also be bronght on by degrees, as subjecting them to a 

 high temperature at ouce is apt to start the flower-buds pre- 

 maturely and cau?e them to drop, whilst it gives an extra 

 stimulus to wood-buds to start into shoots. 



The weather has been everything that is desirable for green- 

 house plants ; even the most sensitive of the hardwooded ones 

 could take all the mild air that could be given them if there 

 was enough of fire heat in foggy days to keep the air in motion. 

 Extra heat otherwise is to be avoided, as the mild temperature 

 has encouraged growth, whilst there has been httle sun to con- 

 sohdate the growth. 



