MU8HE00MS.] 



PEACTICE OP HOETICIJLTURE. 



[onion. 



bed : the second in the beginning of March ; 

 and the third in April. For winter a sowing 

 is made in August or September, and the 

 plants are pricked out in October, along the 

 bottom of walls, or under glazed frames. 



MALLOW (CURLED). 



This plant is a very hardy annual, and is 

 used for garnishing, in the place of vine- 

 leaves ; but when the leaves of the vine can 

 be obtained they are preferable. The plant 

 grows to a height of about three feet, and 

 flowers in common garden soil. 



MARJORAM (KNOTTED). 



The most suitable time for sowing mar- 

 joram is about the end of Tebruary, and 

 during March. This should be done on a 

 bottom-heat ; and when up, it should be 

 potted and gradually hardened off for plant- 

 ing out-of-doors, or forced for early use. 

 "When the demand for it ia large, a portion 

 of what is planted out-of-doors should be 

 cut down before the flower-stems run to 

 seed ; and as soon as the an ts begin to 

 grow again, they should be taken up, potted, 

 and placed in a pit or house, to cut as 

 green marjoram during the winter. A light, 

 deep, and friable soil is the best adapted for 

 succestjfully growing of this plant. 



MELON. 



"We have spoken of this fruit in the forcing 

 garden ; but those who take pleasure in trying 

 experiments, may be informed that melons 

 are to be cultivated out-of-doors with success. 

 The points to be attended to, are a south-east 

 aspect bed, raised one foot above the level of 

 the ground, only allowing nine inches for 

 the plants to grow in ; below them, to have a 

 good drainage of rough bushes, straw, leaves, 

 or other similar material. Plant under hand- 

 glasses, and continue the use of them for 

 some weeks, depending, of course, on the con- 

 geniality of the season. The plants intended 

 for this purpose should be brought up very 

 hardy. 



MUSHROOMS. 



This is one of those fungi with which it is 

 dangerous for the inexperienced to deal. Those 

 who desire to study the artificial production 

 978 



of their spawn may cultivate them ; but for all 

 other ends they are.better left alone. However, 

 small spare spots under stages, platforms, or 

 at the ends of houses, can always be found 

 for making a flat little bed, two feet in thick- 

 ness, of droppings ; soiled, and defended by a 

 mat, taking care to beat the bed well down. 

 By this means abundance of mushrooms will 

 be produced with very little trouble ; but 

 " excessive moisture," says one of the flrst 

 gardeners, " is not only apt to destroy the 

 spawn, but it debases the flavour of such fungi 

 as are produced under it ;" and such excess 

 of moisture, he further observes, is sup- 

 posed to render the "salutary sorts less, 

 and to make the unwholesome kinds more 



acrimonious. 



ONION. 



This is one of the most precious inmates of 

 the garden ; and one sort differs far less from 

 another than the degree of skill in different 

 hands, or the degree of quality in different 

 soils. "The best sort for keeping," says 

 Mr. Paterson, " is the Strasburg ; and, for a 

 large crop, the white Spanish; the silver- 

 skinned is beautiful, and the dwarf-grown of 

 that sort are the handsomest for pickles. The 

 Blood-red and James' Keeping are excellent 

 for pungency, and for the quality, which the 

 latter name implies. The soil cannot be too 

 light, if it be rich with old manure, incor- 

 porated by digging about the end of autumn." 

 It is advantageous in the course of winter, 

 after the manure has become amalgamated 

 with the soil, to ridge up the earth like potato 

 drills, which, by pulverising and drying, pre- 

 pares for early sowing. Drilling is greatly to 

 be preferred to broadcast, as the former 

 admits of the hoe, which not only promotes 

 the growth of the crop, but saves the trouble 

 of weeding. One or two ounces of seed may 

 be sown in August for a spring and early 

 summer crop. At a medium elevation the 

 middle of August is the proper season ; and, 

 sooner or later, from the beginning to the end 

 of the month, according as the locality is near 

 to mountains or the level of the sea. Some, 

 in any condition, will shoot ; but, by pinching 

 off the early buds, good-keeping bulbs may 

 be secured. The potato onion is very hardy, 

 very productive, and of mild quality— equally 



