Botanical Magazine. 69 



can be got dry, and from roads where horses have frequented, 

 to form an excellent composition for covering mushroom beds. 

 I put the mould on the beds 1 in. thick, beating it firm and 

 smooth. This finishes the bed to the height of the front of 

 the shelf, or 1 ft. deep." 



The air of the house is now kept from 55° to 60°, and in 

 about three or four weeks the mushrooms begin to appear. 

 If the beds are dry on the surface, a moderate watering is 

 given with water of the same temperature as that of the 

 house. This will generally send up the mushrooms in great 

 numbers. " The admission of air into the house at this time 

 is very beneficial. By admitting much air, the mushrooms 

 will not advance so rapidly in growth ; but they will be much 

 firmer, and of higher flavour, than if kept close shut up. I 

 use no covering for my beds." The beds, on the whole, 

 must be kept rather dry than moist ; and much of the success 

 depends on avoiding the two extremes of humidity and 

 drought. Too much moisture and dampness are the general 

 causes of the destruction of mushroom beds. 



22. On destroying Slugs, \Amax cinereus and agrestis. By Mr. A. 

 Gorrie, C.M.H.S., &c. Read June, 1818. 



Mr. Gorrie discovered by accident that not only are slugs 

 destroyed by the urine of black cattle, or the drainings of a 

 cow-house or of dunghills, if poured on them, but the approach 

 of others to the ground so moistened prevented for a consi- 

 derable time. The drainings of the cow-house may be diluted 

 with about one third of water. 



(To be continued.} 



Art. II. Catalogue of Works on Gardening, Agriculture, Botany, 

 Rural Architecture, fyc, published since August last, with some 

 Account of those considered the most interesting. 



Britain. 



Curtis' s Botanical Magazine, or Flower-Garden displayed; New Series. 

 Edited by Dr. Hooker. In 8vo Numbers, monthly. 35. 6d. col. ; 3s. plain. 



2Vo. XXXIV. for October, contains 

 2938 to 2943. — Cypripedium macranthon. Beautiful showy purple 

 flowers. From open places or woods in Siberia ; and sent by Dr. Fischer 

 of Petersburg, to the Glasgow botanic garden. — Fleas rubiginosa. A 

 small stove tree, from New South Wales, in 1789, by Sir Joseph Banks. — 

 Gaillardia aristata ; Composite. A tall branching herbaceous plant, with 

 large showy yellow flowers, from the Rocky Mountains in North America 

 by Mr. Douglas and others. — Linaria aequitriloba ; Scrophularinca?. A. 

 pretty little tufted perennial, from the rocks at Laconi, in Sardinia, by the 



F 3 



