November 23, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



451 



varieties. In many parts of southern Michigan the Wheat crop 

 is lighter than it used to be. The usual explanation given is 

 that Wheat has been too often raised on the same ground. 

 Bat in many instances which have been noticed by our most 

 observing farmers, a newly-cleared piece of timbered land for 

 its first crop does not produce nearly so well as in early times, 

 say thirty years ago, when the country contained much land 

 cleared every year. — (Rural Neio Yorker.) 



CARTER'S METROPOLITAN ROOT SHOW. 



The annual displays at the Agricultural Hall have always 

 been worthy of note and inspection by those who are identified 

 with the cultivation of roots, both of the farm and the garden. 

 The display this year was of great magnitude, farm produce 

 necessarily preponderating, and the quality of the roots was 

 decidedly greater than on any past occasion. The ruliogs of 

 competent judges have had an educational effect, and now size 

 mast be combined with cleanliness of growth and solidity to 

 merit approval. Same idea of the extent of the Show may be 

 formed when it is stated that it occupied the floor of a gallery 

 about 250 yards in length and 20 in width ; and the collections 

 were not only of high but of level excellence, which must have 

 given the Judges no small amount of trouble in making then- 

 awards. For the prizes, including a ten-guinea silver cup for 

 Cirter's Hardy Prize-winner Swede, forty collections were 

 spread, Carter's Warden Mangold sixty-eight, Carter's Red 

 Mammoth Mangold fifty-two, Intermediate twenty-four, and 

 similar numbers of exhibits in many other classes. The weights 

 of the Mangolds varied from 40 to 60 lbs., and many Swedes 

 approached 20 lbs. weight. It was not mere size, however, so 

 much as high quality and distinctness of the Beveral varieties 

 which were the prevailing characteristics of the Show. About 

 a hundred dishes of Potatoes were exhibited, and prizes were 

 awarded for Snowflake, Breadfruit, Excelsior, and Prince of 

 Wales. The best collection — eighteen varieties — came from Mr. 

 Lumsden, Bloxholm ; the largest Snowflakes from Mr. Penny, 

 Sandringnam. Onions were highly superior, indeed finer bulbs 

 were never staged at any show. The White Spanish type pre- 

 dominated ; the Pinesfield variety being well in advance of its 

 congeners. The Show throughout was a credit to Messrs. 

 C jrter and their numerous customers who competed. 



NOTES on VILLA and SUBURBAN GARDENING. 



Growing Mushrooms. — In this part of the country the latter 

 part of the summer has been rather more favourable than com- 

 mon for the natural growth of Mushrooms. They have been 

 collected by cartloads, and have met with a ready sale in the 

 markets ; yet, notwithstanding that, the artificial culture of 

 this esteemed esculent must not be neglected by those desirirjg 

 a supply throughout the winter. I will enumerate, therefore, 

 a few principal points to be attended to in their culture. Firstly, 

 do not delay any longer in preparing the materials for the beds. 

 These consist of horse droppings, to be collected as fresh as 

 possible, with a very little very short straw left and mixed with 

 them, and put in a heap to sweat, and be sheltered from 

 wet in some outhouse. If the heap should be small and show- 

 ing no signs of heating, throw two or three mats over it, and 

 this will help to induce fermentation. When such is the case 

 turn the heap inside out and mix the whole well together. It is 

 important to understand that this heap is not to lie till it has 

 exhausted itself by heating, but as soon as the fermentation has 

 partially subsided and the material is in a moderate state as to 

 dryness it may be put into the bed, but if too wet mix a few 

 fresh oak leaves with the dung ; but in towns where these can- 

 not be obtained a little of the litter that was shaken from the 

 dung may be chopped up and added by mixing. 



In making the bed take care that the material is put- in in thin 

 layers all over the bed, so that the heating may be regular, 

 for if pat by barrowfals without an attempt to spread it out 

 evenly, the heating becomes violent at one place and the bed 

 is cool in another. Tread or press every layer down as firmly 

 as possible, for if the dung is in good order it will have a kind 

 of spring in it that will prevent it being made too firm, but 

 if too wet it cakes and is not in good condition. I am an ad- 

 vocate for having the beds rather deeper than is usual in Mush- 

 room houses — about 18 inches at the front and quite 2 feet 

 at the back where the bed usually rests against a cold wall, 

 otherwise I see no reason for having a bed elevated at the back. 

 After being trodden down sticks should be inserted in it at two 

 or more places to tell when the heat rises. If it is loog in 

 coming up cover the bed with a layer of straw, which will help 

 it much. When the heat does rise and increases in intensity 

 day by day no spawning must be done, but when the heat com- 

 mences declining and is reduced to a little more than new-milk 

 warmth about 3 or 4 inches under the surface, spawning may be 

 done with safety by making holes to that depth and inserting 

 Email pieces of the size of a duck's egg, and pressing them in 



tightly, filling the holes up, and making all level on the sur- 

 face and closing the house. The bed should now be watched care- 

 fully, and when the heat is going down too rapidly cover again 

 with straw, and this will prevent the temperature falling too 

 low. In about a fortnight, if all goes on well, the spawn wiO 

 begin to run — that is, will throw out white hair-like threads into 

 the dung, and by trying two or three different parts of the bed, 

 and finding it generally so, the surface may be soiled over. 



The soil should be sifted fine and not be too cloBe in texture, 

 or the surface of it when beaten down becomes caked, and the 

 Mushrooms cannot come through, therefore let it be just suffi- 

 cient to cling together. Cover the bed with 2 inches of soil, so 

 that when beaten down there is a good inch in thickness. The 

 surface should then be covered over with straw. The heat of 

 the house or shed should be kept up to 55° or 60° at first, 

 either by hot water or by a heap of heating dung. When the 

 small Mushrooms appear the bed may be watered if it appears 

 dry, but not without, and the crop will soon be ready for gather- 

 ing. After the first crop is gathered the bed may be watered i5 

 needed and covered over again for the next crop, and so on till 

 the bed is exhausted. 



It matters not where Mushrooms are grown, the same prin- 

 ciples of culture must be pursued. Some grow them in boxes, 

 tubs, or even large pots, and if the conditions of making up 

 the material and affording the necessary warmth for starting 

 the spawn — a point never to be neglected— and the atmosphere 

 is kept even in temperature, no one need be afraid of attempting 

 the culture of MushroomB, nor doubt of being successful. — 

 Thomas Record. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND WORK FOR 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 



Apples and Pears in the fruit room are not keeping well this 

 year. Much of the fruit has been injured by the Apple-boring 

 maggot. Some seasons we have been almost exempt from this 

 pest, and have fancied that it would not trouble ns much more, 

 but it has again attacked the fruit to a large extent. We still 

 fancy the best way to keep the maggot in check is to gather all 

 the fruit attacked by it, and destroy it, thus preventing the 

 further increase of the pest. We frequently look over the fruit 

 in the fruit room and remove such as show symptoms of decay, 

 to prevent the injury from extending farther. This is work 

 that ought by no means to be neglected. 



In a previous number instructions were given to have ground 

 prepared for the planting of fruit trees. No time ought to be 

 lost now in placing the trees in their stations. Nearly all the 

 principal nurserymen have a great demand for all sorts of trained 

 trees, and the best specimens are bought up early in the season. 

 It is not an uncommon occurrence for amateurs, and even gar- 

 deners of experience, to place rich compost round the roots of the 

 trees, and we have even seen manure used without the addition 

 of any soil to it. Now, as a general rule, garden soil is rich in 

 manorial properties, and is not in the best condition to be 

 applied to the roots of the trees, and when turfy loam can be 

 obtained there is nothing better for planting in; a larger pro- 

 portion of healthy fibrous roots are made in this than in any- 

 thing else, and should it be necessary to remove the trees next 

 season it can be done without any injury to them. See that 

 the holes for the roots are large enough to allow them to be. 

 spread out to their fullest extent, place 2 or 3 inches of the* 

 loam in the bottom of the hole, and then place the roots of the 

 tree in, filling up with loam, carefully working it in amongst 

 the roots, and. when the operation is finished the tree ought not 

 to be deeper in the ground than it was before its removal. 

 Pears on the Quince stock should be planted to the union of 

 the stock with the scion. All newly-planted trees should have 

 a stout stick placed to tbem to prevent their swaying with the 

 wind. Wall trees require to be planted in a similar manner. 

 The bole of the tree should be 2 or 3 inches from the wall, and 

 the tree ought not to be fastened to the wall until the ground 

 settles down, which it will do sufficiently in the course of two 

 months. All Bmall fruits, such as Raspberry, Currant, and 

 Gooseberry bushes, should be planted at once. All of them, 

 and Raspberries especially, require rich soil. The ground 

 ought to be trenched and well manured. We merely plant in 

 the ordinary soil, and for all newly-planted trees and bushes 

 some decayed manure is placed on the surface of the ground over 

 the roots. Nothing is better for this purpose than spent frame 

 dung or the clearing-out cf old Mushroom beds. 



We have commenced pruning Gooseberry and Currant bashes. 

 We thin the wood oat well, spurring the young wood close back 

 to the old. What young wood is allowed to remain on Goose- 

 berries is shortened back but little. Red and White Currants 

 have it cut back more closely. Black Currant bushes require 

 no pruning, except to thin-out the branches when they b6com.9 

 crowded. After pruning the bashes clear the prunings off, as 

 they are unsightly when left on the ground; then give a good 

 dressing of manure, and fork the ground over neatly, burying 



