2S TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



Mr. Julm G. Borgjen. — Tln-ro are two kinds iA' poar Mij^Iit — one sunimcr 

 and OIK' winter. I do not think that any one can say what is the cause, 

 nor give a i-mo. It is much worse upon some soils than othi-rs. 



Filtering Cistern. 



"Jesse llawley, Sahnu Colninhia C-.)nnty, Ohio, g-ives the fulhiwitiLC as tlic 

 plan upon whicli he luiilt a filtering- cistern that works well, and hopes it 

 will be of use to others lit,' says : 



"I dnp: my well nbout 30 or o5 feet deep, 10 or 15 feet in the rock, 

 walled from the rock up, dug- or picked the well largest at the bottom, 

 cemented as high as I wanted the water to rise. On one side of the well 

 I dng aliout six or seven feet deep, and made the bottom in the form of 

 half an egg, with the little end down, in order to brin,g the filtered water 

 to one point, and then conveyed the same into the well, through a hole 

 made for that purpose. I filled the filterer, with gravel and charcoal, put- 

 ting the fine gravel in the bottom; then a layer of sand, theji co:il, and so 

 on until full, imtting coarse gravel on the top to receive the water from 

 the conducter. I leave the top of the filter in the form of a basin. Where 

 there is no rock the well for the cistern should be dug not less than 25 feet 

 deep. If the wall is too loose to plaster, it must be walled six or eight 

 feet at bottom, and ordy two or three feet at top, tlie month being secured 

 by an iron ritig. Such a cistern will give cool healthy water.*' 



How TO Grow Mushrooms. 



Mr. Solon Robinson. — Mushroom beds are made in cellars or caves, arti- 

 ficial or natural. Horses' droppings are piled compactly ten or twelve 

 inches deep, and pieces of the mushroom spawn are inserted in holes about 

 six inches apart, and slightly covered. Tiie bed is then smoothly covered 

 with rich earth one or two inches deep, and the bed kept at the tempera- 

 ture of about 75 deg-. Fahrenheit. It may need watering occasionally with 

 luke-warm water. Il will take five or six weeks for the plants to show, 

 and they will mature in two days and continue in bearing several months. 

 The mushroom spawn can be obtained at seed stores. It comes in form, 

 and has somewhat the appearance of a sun-dried brick. It would be use- 

 less to make the roof of the caves of wood, as the room is kept so close and 

 warm that it will decay and fall in witliin three years. 



Crimson Peas. 



Jonathan Lee, Salisbury, Ct., sends a sample of crimson ])eas obtained 

 from an accid<-ntal seedling found in his g^arden, which he supposed migiit 

 have been produced by a hybridization of the Black-eyed .Marrowfat with 

 the Victoria or Champion. These are from the third crop. The vines grow 

 U[»on richly manurerl land ten or twelve feet long, thick set with po<ls, and 

 independent of their value as food, Mr. Lee thinks they nuiy be useful for 

 coloring, an they aflord a good crimson dye. He inquires whether such a 

 pea is well known, and if s<», what is its history. Th(> flower of the vino 

 is of a purple color, as an; those of some other late bearers. 



Mr. Trincc said that these peas are common in England, and it is proba- 



