564' General Notices. 



cellars for coals or other matters would also answer the same purpose. The 

 structure in question is not sunk lower than the general level of the surface, 

 being originally intended to preserve roots, or stow away lumber : but the uni- 

 form and moist atmosphere maintained within led me to think it well suited 

 to grow muslirooms, and it has been found to do this perfectly ; as a bed 

 made up in September is in bearing now, and has produced mushrooms of 

 excellent quality. As some part of this place is only separated from the ex- 

 ternal air by a 14-inch wall, the severe weather in winter checked the growth 

 for a short time, but did not prove otherwise hurtful, as it immediately com- 

 menced upon the introduction of some hot dung to raise the temperature, 

 which in a structure so confined is easily done. Had this precaution been 

 taken in time, no check whatever need have been felt. Such a place admir- 

 ably suits this purpose during summer, as the great body of surrounding ma- 

 terial keeps every thing inside uniformly cool. Were it upon a scale that 

 would be too extensive, it would require air-tight divisions, to confine the 

 humid and somewhat heated air surrounding the mushrooms, which would 

 prove injurious to most things that might be deposited there. — N. M. T. 

 Folkstone, May 27. 1841. 



Economical Planting. — For planting trees in plantations Sir E. Stracey's 

 Rackheath subsoil plough (see New Series of Brit. Farm. Mag., Nos. 2. and 

 7.) far exceeds digging, as, by proper management, the soil may be broken 2 ft. 

 deep at a fourth of the expense of digging. {Brit. Farm. Mag., vol. iii. n. s. 

 p. 145.) 



The Quince is a fruit prized in North America next to the apple; the great 

 demand for it is for preserving : " but for drying, to mix with dried apples or 

 peaches, the quince possesses a value unrivalled by any other fruit; the supe- 

 rior flavour communicated by them to pies can only be appreciated by those 

 who have tasted of their excellence when used in that way. ( Yankee Farmer, 

 May 8. 1840.) 



Preserving Currants on the Bushes till Christmas. — At Bury Hill, the seat 

 of Robert Barclay, Esq., they have a way of preserving currants till Christ- 

 mas, in a high state of preservation. A plantation of red and white currant 

 trees, occupying a space of about 20 ft. square, is enclosed within a close 

 paling 6 ft. high ; the trees are trained as espaliers. A strong beam rises 

 from the centre of the plantation, higher than the paling, from which rafters 

 diverge in all directions, and rest on the paling, to support a roof of thin white 

 canvass, which is fastened down all round the paling. Several openings, about 

 6 in. square, are left at the top of the paling for the admission of air, and are 

 filled up with mouse-trap wire, to prevent the intrusion of insects. As soon 

 as the fruit is gathered, the canvass is removed, and the trees exposed to the 

 elements ; they have stood in this state for four or five years, and have always 

 borne a good crop. — M. L. Dorking Common, Aug. 29. 1841. 



'Eirbmus prathisis and Festuca t-''Vii. — Your account of the ^romus pra- 

 tensis, in the very agreeable sketch of your visit to Paris, p. 297., induced me 

 to beg a friend, who was returning to England, to bring me a couple of pounds 

 of the seed from M. Vilmorin. Our soil here, as your recollection may suggest 

 to you, requires an herbage capable of enduring aridity ; and I hope I may find 

 the ^romus pratensis useful in that respect. I have tried some of Dr. Ure's 

 fescue grass {Festuca Uhii), and, as far as a trial upon a very small scale can 

 prognosticate, it bids fair to succeed. — H. L. L. June, 1841. 



Asphalte. — I am an admirer of asphalte, like yourself, and I read your 

 extract from Dr. Ure, respecting the possibility of producing it artificially, with 

 great interest, particularly as we have the two main constituents, sand and 

 chalk, so near at hand. Another friend of mine, also recently returned from 

 Paris, has given me a receipt for compounding it, which he met with in a French 

 work, and I enclose a copy as yoH might like to see it. 



Receij^ts for prej)aring Artificial Asphalte. No. 1. Take 18 parts of mineral 

 pitch and 18 of rosin (this seems requisite to give it the hardening quality), put 

 them into an iron pot for about twenty minutes over a fire ; they will boil, and 



