Jannary 16, 1866. ] 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



51 



under mats, calico, and frames of straw made bo thin as to 

 let light enough through them, we would have lost most of our 

 plants by a severe frost in the end of April, if we had not 

 possessed a piece of this rough stnff to go to and shake gently 

 nil over them. We shall never forget Mr. .James Barnes, of 

 Bictoii, saying in one of his pithy papers, " A few hours will 

 sometimes destroy the preparations of a season, and the mor- 

 tifying thing then would be, that the sun would shine as 

 brightly, and the grass would grow as green, and the birds 

 would sing as men-ily. as if there had never been that cruel 

 frost that made such havoc in a few hours as to pretty well 

 embitter for you all the pleasing events of the season." 



Qui' second piece in the Mushroom-house, say 13 inches 

 deep at back and 10 inches in front, that was spawned nearly 

 seven weeks ago, is now beginning to have white places on the 

 surface, in which the incipient Mushrooms can just be perceived. 

 In this bed there is also a sprinkling of the rough hay, and in 

 these cold days when we put the hand on the surface of the 

 bed, there is just that nice gentle warmth that tells us the 

 spawn is working away kindly. The third piece is spawned and 

 earthed up, and going on aU right, and the fourth piece has the 

 dung beaten down ; and as it had been dried a little and thrown 

 into a heap in a shed before bringing it on, there has been 

 no trouble with an extra moist atmosphere as there was at 

 first, and to counteract which we used mats suspended over 

 the first bed, as detailed some time ago. Our practical friends 

 will excuse these timple details, as some who are beginners 

 fail because they neglect simple matters. From circumstances 

 we could not make a large bed if we wished, and we have 

 become so used to these small beds, and having them in 

 succession, that we do not think we would care to change if we 

 could. Good Mushrooms, valuable at all times, are particularly 

 so in winter, and are easier grown then than they are in sum- 

 mer. One word let us add for the benefit of amateurs who try 

 to grow them in empty stalls of stables, bjTes, &c., and that is, 

 when the weather becomes cold, just add a little more covering 

 over the bed, and lessen it when it is milder. Always bear in 

 mind that an excess of heat is more dangerous than cold. The 

 spawn will stand much cold, if not r;m out with too much wet. 

 The bed should never be hotter than the hand, when that 

 hand is as warm outi-ide as the blood is inside. The surface 

 of the bed, before the Mushi-ooms come through, may feel a 

 little warm — about 70', but, as soon as safely through they will 

 be better if the temperature is from oj" to 60° ; but much 

 lower would do, provided the bed was not too much cooled. 

 We are glad to find that some are gi-owing Mushi-ooms in large 

 pots. We hke boxes better, because the wood secures a more 

 equable temperature, but either will do. One advantage of the 

 pots is, that if the material become too cold to produce Mush- 

 rooms freely, the pot may be plunged in a heap of feimenting 

 material so as to raise the temperature to from 70° to 7.5°, but 

 taking care that the surface is not continued at that heat. 



A^panigiii. — Had the beds and single rows and ridges, where 

 the buds were near the surface, covered with half-rotted dimg 

 and tree leaves fi-om spent hotbeds, which will make them aU 

 seciue from the frost, and help to nourish them besides. We 

 will throw a lot of burnt rubbish and clay over this when we 

 can, which, from the vegetable rubbish contained, will act very 

 much in the way of a salt-dressing. Top-di'essing Asparagus 

 we consider of more importance than placing manure at great 

 depths, and did we not want the short cuttings from the lawn 

 for other purposes, we would give a fair portion of them to 

 Asparagus-beds. 



As it happened, we need not have troubled ourselves as to 

 frost at present, for during the night there has been, what has 

 been expected, a heavy fall of snow, measuring 8 inches deep 

 in open places, this Thm-sday morning, and the snow still 

 falliag hearily. The first part of the winter has resembled 

 'hat of 18C0-G1, and if there should now be an approach to 

 that season, the snow if it remain some time will be a great 

 protection, though it will hinder out-door work. 



K'uhinj Beam sown in four and five-inch pots have bean 

 transferred in a piece into nine-inch pots, using rich hght soil 

 that had been warmed. This plan is, perhaps, better than 

 sowing in boxes and then transplanting, as that always gives a 

 httle check. After this season we prefer sowing in pots, or 

 boxes, where they are to produce, filling the pots three-parts 

 full, and placing about five Beans in a pot ; but this requires a 

 good deal of room at first, one pot occupying the space of a 

 number of small ones, and the small ones answering equally 

 well until the stems begin to rim. 



Cucumbers in rather large pots placed about the middle of a 



small pit that they might have more light in this dull weather. 

 Cucumbers and Melons may now be sown where there is a suit- 

 able heat, but we always think that young Melons do best when 

 raised in a hotbed, though they be transferred afterwards to 

 beds heated by h©t water or flues. 



FRUIT GAP.DEX. 



strawberries in pots are just beginning to move. Those set 

 on very sUght hotbeds, as detailed lately, are also moving, and 

 when the weather changes we shall take them into the Peach- 

 house, where, as lately stated, we have lighted the fires, and 

 there are signs of movement ; the temperature fi'om fire heat is 

 from 45° to 50°, but seldom up to the latter figure as yet, with 

 air early and a rise from sunshine when we can. Cut most of 

 the late Grapes to hang up, so as to have the house cleaned in 

 this stormy weather ; washing glass, woodwork. Vines, stages, 

 etc., with soap water, syringing all with warm v.ater, taking 

 away a little of the surface earth of the floor, so that all shall be 

 clean and nice. Few things look worse than the glass of houses 

 dirty and covered with green slime, and strings of fungous 

 matter suspended from the sash-bars and walls as if these had 

 long been strangers to limewash. Wa.?hed these walls well be- 

 fore coloirring them afresh. These little precautions do much 

 to keej) away shoals of insects. This house we shall fill with 

 plants directly, and they will remain there until the Luds break 

 naturally. \ie generally bring aU the Vine-stems to the front 

 of the house until the buds all break, because they are thus 

 out of the way, and break more regularly from being for the 

 whole length in a similar temperatm-e. Last season they were 

 suspended mider the roof about 2 feet or more from the glass, 

 and in that position also they broke pretty regularly. This 

 last plan involves less trouble afterwards, but for early forcing 

 we prefer the first mode. 



Orchard-houses. — Fortunately we have a heap of Lairrel 

 ti;\-ig3 that had been used as evergreen wreaths, and as the 

 roofs of those houses are now covered with snow, we shaU 

 bruise a lot of these shoots, and have two or three fires in 

 each house to fill it with smoke from these bruised leaves, &c., 

 taking care so to cover each fire heap with moss, that no flame 

 shall issue. This Laurel smoke will find its way into every 

 hole and cranny, and kill everything that is aliv^e. We shall do 

 this by way of precaution, for though no insects have shown 

 themselves still there may be some, and the smoking wiU 

 cost nothing but the labour. The paint and the wood of 

 the trees should be drj- before such smoking. If the wood and 

 l)aint are wet the paint will assume a dark colour, fi'om a 

 prussiate of lead, but even that will wear off if kt alone long 

 enough. The less lead there is in tlie paint the less will it be 

 affected by such smoking, even if the paint be wet. 



OltSi^rESTAL nr.r.iP.THENT. 



As soon as the men can stand out, the walks and thorough- 

 fares must be cleared, and many shrubs eased of the weight of 

 the snow, which otherwise would bend them down and break 

 them. All plants in cold frames and pits, from having had 

 plenty of air, and being kept very cool, and shut-up cool, will 

 have no uncovering whilst the snowstorm lasts, unless it 

 remain a very long time. There is no better protecting 

 medium than the snow, and why should we remove it ? As 

 soon as the snow begins to melt, however, it should be removed, 

 and cleared away fi-om the sides, so that the moisture may not 

 soak down and rise again among the plants inside. 



We have frequently stated that where there is nothing but 

 Ciild Frames and Pits for keeping bedding and other half-hardy 

 plants, instead of going down in a pit to obtain heat, it is better 

 to go up for di-yness. We have lately done little in this way 

 ourselves, but we have previously proved the advantage of it. 

 Let the platform for the frame or pit be some 6 or 9 inches 

 above the smTOunding soil, have a sloping platform all round 

 some 4 feet in width, and the outside of that at least G inches 

 below the frame platform, and cover this outside platform with 

 a coating of tar, and then with gravel. According to the thick- 

 ness of the gravel you must sink the surrounding walk more, 

 and this will carry off the water. If it could be done in sum- 

 mer we would coat the ground inside the frame or pit with tar 

 and gravel in the same way. the smell would be all gone be- 

 fore autumn ; and then a layer of diy rough ashes for setting 

 the pots on, and great care in watering, taking out the plants 

 that are dry, and watering them outside, would prevent much 

 damp in such places in winter. We keep a good many plants 

 under frames raised over hotbeds in spring and summer, just 

 where these stood, but though we place a board in frcnt or a 

 rough spout to prevent the water that runs off the glass falling 



