DECEMBER 135 



amiable plants, and in no way resent being moved about. 

 The single and variegated Kerrias are not such strong 

 growers as the double. If the latter get to look untidy, 

 they can be removed after flowering. 



I saw a curious account in a newspaper lately about 

 the colour of glass greatly affecting the growth of 

 plants. The discoverer of this theory is Camille Flam- 

 inarion, the French astronomer. He has found that 

 plants grown in a red hot -house become, in a given 

 time, four times as big as those exposed to ordinary 

 sunlight. The poorest development, practically amount- 

 ing to failure, was under blue glass ; and lettuces grown 

 under green glass did badly. It would be interesting to 

 try experiments. I wonder if it would answer to colour 

 red the stuff sold for painting the glass of greenhouses 

 as a shade in summer? 



We have done a great deal of pruning this year of 

 our old Apple trees, sawing out large branches in the 

 middle to let in air. The trees have been shortened 

 back so much that they bear far too many apples, and 

 none come to any size. 



December 18th. We have never been very successful 

 here with the growing of Mushrooms. We have no 

 Mushroom house, and have to try what can be done in 

 various sheds and outhouses. I am told that the most 

 essential point to remember is that the horses must have 

 no green food or carrots during the time that the drop- 

 pings are being collected. My own belief is that our 

 beds have been kept too dry, and that this is the reason 

 of our failure, in spite of making up the beds with the 

 greatest care, according to the directions in the excellent 

 little books which are sold everywhere, and which always 

 represent Mushroom culture as the easiest thing in the 

 world. Also, it may be that when the beds were watered 

 it was not with rain-water. Our soil is so sandy that 



