November 7, 1S72. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



369 



from the boiling point, poured down will destroy the woodlice 

 and do no harm to the bed if used sparingly at these crevices. 

 With every care it is hardly possible to have Mushroom beds 

 without also having woodlice, as, however much you may clean, 

 smoke, and scald the empty house, the woodlice are carried in 

 ■with the fermenting material. 



At this season, and in such dull wet weather, it is difficult to 

 get the material for Mushroom beds dry enough. One of the 

 simplest modes is to throw the material into a heap, and if 

 really very short and damp, to cut up some dry litter or straw 

 and mix with it, covering the outside of the heap with dry litter. 

 It will then soon heat itself, so as to be sweet and sufficiently 

 dry. Of course, we are aware that by this mode some of the 

 most nutritious properties of the manure are dissipated, but by 

 the practice we save time and labour, and obtain Mushrooms as 

 thick and fleshy as cooks care to have them. One bed gave 

 Mushrooms rather thinner than we liked them, but to bring 

 them in we gave them rather too much warmth. In spawning 

 a bed we have put about half an inch of moist cow dung under 

 the soil. With fair treatment that will ensure Mushrooms thick 

 and fleshy enough. 



Provided we have 2 or 3 inches, chiefly of droppings, for the 

 surface, we care comparatively little what the bulk of the bed 

 is composed of, so long as it will retain a mild constant heat for 

 some time. One of the best beds we ever had in an dut-door 

 open shed was made chiefly with tree leaves, a little long grass, 

 and cut stubble. After being firmly trodden it had altogether 

 a surfacing of from 2 to 3 inches of droppings mixed with short 

 litter. The depth of the bed was IS inches at the back and 

 14 inches in front. When cleared out after a twelvemonth 

 almost every straw of the stubble was covered with the spawn. 

 The bed had several manure-waterings, made by steeping cow 

 and sheep dung in warm water some days before using it. 



Cucumbers. — In such dull wet weather it is better to have a 

 comparatively low temperature instead of a high one. Particular 

 care should be taken that much fire heat and sun heat do not act 

 together, as it is trying to the plants after such dull weather. A 

 slight skiff may be given from the syringe, hut if a bright day 

 should occur suddenly, it will be better to have less fire heat, 

 and even a little shading, instead of a great addition to air- 

 giving. 



Dwarf Kidney Beans. — We have gathered the last from an 

 earth pit, which we could protect with old sashes, &c. Had the 

 weather been sunny, we should have gathered some time longer, 

 but the continual rain made the plants begin to damp-off. A 

 late crop from the open air is thus often worth trying for. 

 Those in forcing pits and houses should seldom in such duU 

 weather be much above 60° with fire heat alone. Little can be 

 done with them by fermenting heat in winter, unless all damp 

 and steam are shut out. 



FEUIT DEPARTMENT. 



The ground hereabouts is too wet to permit of fruit-tree 

 planting, but it must be kept steadily in view, as the sooner the 

 roots are in their new places the better they will thrive. The 

 more the soil is sweetened and exposed to the air the better will 

 the plants thrive ; and where such material can be obtained, 

 every tree should have one barrowload, or as much as can be 

 obtained, of sweet new loam, such as that obtained from 

 meadows or the sides of highways, with the grass decomposed 

 and the fibre not yet wasted away. For giving least trouble 

 afterwards, and insuring early and continuous bearing, no plan 

 es simpler than planting on raised mounds, and mulching the 

 surface for some years afterwards. 



Pruning may now be proceeded with where the ground is not 

 so wet as to become puddled with the feet. Most of the foliage 

 is now changing, and cutting, though removing a few leaves 

 with a little green on them, is a matter of little importance, and 

 it is very desirable that all such work should be forwarded as 

 much as possible, for the spring brings a multiplicity of matters 

 to attend to. 



Strawberry plants in pots are now all under some protection 

 from rain. We shall place a lot in frames presently, with just 

 the least heat below them to give them a gentle start. 



Orchard Souses.— In order that these may help ns as pro- 

 tectors by their glass roofs, we have removed the most of the 

 how discoloured foliage, as thus we secure more room for many 

 plants that will be found useful. Even Chrysanthemums for 

 cutting are much safer than standing anywhere out of doors. 

 Lettuces, Endive, Violets, &c, may thus be safely kept. No 

 better place could be found for Strawberry plants in pots, but 

 we cannot accommodate them there at present. There is 

 scarcely a garden, large or small, but there will be plenty said 

 of the lack of all such accommodation. Even such unheated 

 houses are most nseful, and dear coal cannot be urged against 

 them. If the present price of fuel continue, people will begin 

 to think of utilising the heat that goes into the air from boiler 

 chimneys. A good long flue could be taken from many a boiler, 

 and its heat thus utilised. 



We may remark, in passing, that in a furnace for a flue, or a 

 furnace for a boiler, it is a great mistake to bring the firebars 



t, 

 close np to the furnace door — for what reason we know no 

 except the saving of a stout dumb plate next the door. W 

 have met with a number of examples of this. The direct ten- 

 dency is to heat the furnace door extremely — in fact, burn it out 

 quickly, heat the stokehole almost unbearably, and, if in the 

 open air, heat the air common to everybody, and to lessen free 

 draught where most you want to have it. A large dull recess 

 at the farther end of a furnace will generally be found a large 

 mistake. 



ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



We took up more Geraniums, so that we can clear them if 

 we think proper. The best of scarlets we may honour with a 

 4-inch pot, and just a little bottom heat at first. The doubles 

 and others first potted, though in 6 and 7-inch pots, are now 

 matted with large white new roots. Others that we keep in 

 boxes and large pots we treat on the faggot system — that is, we 

 cut the heads pretty well in, and dip the cut parts in quicklime 

 to stop bleeding and damping. We cut a little off the roots if 

 Ion" and straggling, and then pack them as thickly as they will 

 "o in boxes and pots, say from twelve to twenty plants in a 

 12 inch pot. We find it best to leave, say, li inch from the nm 

 of the pot water the pots fairly, and when well drained-off we 

 cover with an inch of dry soil. These will stand under stages 

 or in anv cool place airy and free from frost, and will give little 

 trouble until about March, when some small leaves will begin 

 to come, and they will then want more light and room. Any 

 cottager may thus easily save a score or two of plants. Ihe 

 secret of this easy mode is not to encourage growth in winter, 

 but merely to keep safe the oldest hardest part of the shoots. 

 No youn" plants with nice green leaves can be kept in the same 

 way, they must have hght and air. 



Calceolaria Cuttings— -We put m our last on October dlst, 

 pricking them out in a cold pit. We generally have the rows 

 from " to 2J inches apart, and the cuttings about 1 inch apart 

 in the row " Some years we do not lose one in a thousand. We 

 are quite satisfied if they stand well and do not root much until 

 after Christmas. We like fresh sandy soil with a little fine leaf 

 mould in it for the staple, and a sprinkling of sand all over. 

 We prefer small side shoots when obtainable. In dull weather 

 we °rve air night and day. In a bright day we do not admit air, 

 and perhaps, slightly dew the cuttings to check free perspir- 

 ation preferring that from first to last the cuttings never flag. 

 Bv such means, and coolness and moisture, it is rare that an 

 insect ever troubles them. We then thin out with small balls, 

 into earth-pits about the middle of March, and from thence they 

 are taken to the flower garden with good balls in May. 



Besides the work alluded to last week, wet weather gave us a 

 <*ood opportunity for examining and potting Ferns, top-dressing 

 Camellias, Chrysanthemums, late Fuchsias, Poinsettias, Eu- 

 phorbias, and Justicias, as now is the time to help the free 

 blooming of all these plants, not forgetting Salvia splendens 

 which is a grand plant now, where enough of heat and hght 

 can be given to huge plants. Two things must be kept m mind 

 whilst this moist, close weather lasts— not to use much nre 

 heat • and in watering to be careful not to slop the water 

 about, as it might have been desirable to do in bright days in 

 summer. — R. F. . 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Kelway & Son, Langport, Somerset.— Wholesale Price List of 

 Gladioli. _ , _ ... 



Edwin Cooling, Mile Ash Nurseries, Derby. — Descriptive 

 Catalogue of Poses, Fruit Trees, Ornamental Trees, Shrubs, <£c. 



George Davison, White Cross Nurseries, Hereford.— Descrip- 

 tive Catalogue of Moses. 



Little & Ballantyne, Carlisle.— Catalogue of Forest and Orna- 

 mental Trees, Shrubs, Fruit Trees, &c. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

 N.B.— Many questions must remain unanswered until next 

 week. 



Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Society (A. P.).— Write for the rules to 

 Mr. Cutler, Secretary, 14, Tavistock Row, Covent Garden, London, W.O. 



Boy Gardeners (17. 17.).— We never knew gardeners act as yon mention, 

 and employers ought to be their own protectors in the very few instances that 

 can have occurred. 



Veitch Memorial (Penkridge).— There is a portrait in the Council-room 

 of the Royal Horticultural Society, and the balance (upwards of £S90) is in- 

 vested in the names of trustees, who are to devote the interest to awarding 

 prizes for the advancement of horticulture in the three kingdoms. 



Circular Discs on Oak Leaves IE. E. E.).— "What you call "blight" are 

 commonly called " Oak spangles." They are caused by a very small insect 

 puncturing the leaf, and depositing her egg in each puncture. The spangle is 

 formed by the grub hatched from the egg. The mother insect is a Cymp3, and 

 is known to entomologists as Diplolepis lenticularis. 



Society op Arts Examinations (E. K. L.).— You had better write to the 

 Society's Secretary. He can furnish full particulars. 



Remoyino Trees (Clegq).— Very properly it is illegal to remove trees. Be- 

 fore a tenant plants he should have an equitable arrangement with his land- 

 lord. It would be equally illegal and unworthy to cut them down. A tenant 



