September 27, 1804. ] JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



257 



the most severe frost except a few close to the sides. Salads 

 are thus producing throughout the winter. Think of that 

 all ye who have French cooks to supply. — J. F. 



MOiSTSTRUEUSE DE DOUE PEACH. 



Like your correspondent, " W. M.," I have a Peach under 

 this name. It came from France two years ago. It does 

 not agree with the description of Belle de Doue, in Dr. 

 Hogg's " Fruit Manual." The glands are kidney-shaped, 

 not round ; the fruit inclining to oval, very downy, small, 

 and flavour not first-rate, but that may be from over- 

 cropping ; flesh melting, red next the stone, from which it 

 does not part freely ; colour dark next the sun, but not so 

 much so as some other varieties ; flowers small. Does 

 "W. M.'s" Peach agree with this description? If so, we 

 may console ourselves that we may have something new if 

 not good. — W. D. 



[Monstrueuse de Doue, and Belle de Doue, are distinct. 

 The former, with which your description agrees, is not of 

 much account. The Belle de Doue is excellent.] 



GROWING MONSTER MUSHROOMS. 



On August 10th appeared in the Times an account of the 

 system as practised in France of growing Mushrooms. Can 

 you inform me if any of your correspondents have tried the 

 system, and if so, with what results ? or if you think it likely 

 to be attended with success ? — Basford Park. 



[The communication to the Times is as follows :— " The 

 following notice concerning the production of Mushrooms of 

 gigantic size may interest many of your readers. It was 

 communicated to the French Academy in 1861 by Dr. La 

 Bordette (Vide Comptes Rendus, t. 53, 1861, pp. 235 and 671). 

 The doctor was engaged in experimenting upon the subject 

 during several years. The Mushrooms are first developed 

 by putting their spores (dust-like seeds), upon a glass plate 

 spread over with sand and water. The most vigorous indi- 

 viduals are selected, and it was with the mycelium (spawn), 

 of these that he obtained the remarkable specimen presented 

 to the Academy. The process is as follows :— 



" A moist soil, composed of vegetable mould from marshy 

 ground (known as terre vigitale de mara'tcher*), placed in a 

 cellar, is covered first with a layer, about 10 inches thick, of 

 sand and river gravel, and then with a layer, about 6 inches 

 thick, of the mortar of old buildings got during their demo- 

 lition. This soil, after the spawn has been sown in, is 

 sprinkled with water containing about 32 grains of nitrate 

 of potash (saltpetre), per square metre (about 10 square 

 feet). The action of the nitrate of potash was manifested 

 during six years. 



" Dr. La Bordette informed the Academy that he had suc- 

 ceeded in raising Mushrooms on a soil formed entirely of 

 sulphate of lime (gypsum, which by calcination yields com- 

 mon plaster of Paris), well beaten down. For manure he 

 substituted nitrate of potash buried along with Mushroom 

 spawn at a depth of 3 or 4 millimetres (0-12 or 0-16 inch). 

 Nothing else was added. ' Under these conditions,' says the 

 doctor, ' the growth of a variety of the common Mushroom 

 (Agaricus campestris), which may be termed " Giant Mush- 

 room," takes place indefinitely. While, according to the 

 usual and complicated method of culture, the average weight 

 of Mushrooms in the adult state is 100 grammes (1544 grains), 

 Mushrooms may be developed by my method weighing on 

 the average 600 grammes (9263 grains, or somewhat more 

 than 1} lb. avoirdupoise).' " 



We shall be obliged by any of our readers stating the 

 results of any trials they have made of this system. If 

 none of them have tried it, we wish some of them would. 

 Although we are not sanguine of great results, yet let no 

 one condemn the statement until tested by experiment.] 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



It would be advisable to have two separate receptacles for 

 garden rubbish attached to every kitchen garden (and we 

 * Not from marshy ground, but from a market-gaiMen.— [Eds ] 



allude to this matter at present, because the accumulation 

 of weeds and decayed vegetable matter is considerable at 

 this season of the year), one to receive the matter convertible 

 by gradual decomposition into manure, the other to contain 

 every substance that can be conveniently burned. A good 

 reserve of burnt earth and wood ashes would be useful in 

 every garden ,- the latter may be advantageously substituted 

 for manure of a stronger character in rich soil which it is 

 desirable to relieve. Cauliflower, prick out, about 3 inches 

 apart, the young plants of the August sowing for next 

 year's early crop into beds of light rich soil to be watered 

 and shaded until they take root; also the young Cabbage 

 plants from the sowing made at the same time. Cucumbers,. 

 those on ridges will now, since the rain, give a good supply 

 of young fruit to be gathered for pickling before the fruit 

 becomes spotted, as they decline in productiveness. Serbs, 

 the decayed flower-stalks of aromatic herbs to be cut down, 

 and the beds cleared of weeds ; the roots divided if an in- 

 crease is required ; and the tops, if not done before, dried 

 for keeping. Spinach, thin out the winter Spinach sown last 

 month to 6 inches from plant to plant, and the late crops of 

 Carrots and Onions. As young weeds wiE now begin to 

 appear thick and fast, the hoe should be kept actively em- 

 ployed on all favourable occasions to keep them down, and 

 handweed the seed-beds, for if neglected for a week or two 

 more weeds will overrun and seriously damage the seedlings, 

 and then increase the labour of removal tenfold. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Continue to give careful attention to the disbudding, 

 thinning, pruning, and nailing of fruit trees as recommended 

 in preceding weeks. Strawberries, plant out the strongest 

 young runners as edgings, or in rows from 18 inches to 

 2 feet apart. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



By regularly removing all dead flower-trusses and relieving 

 the plants from superfluous and exhausted growths, their 

 health and display may yet be prolonged. Borders deficient 

 of Snowdrops, Crocus, Narcissus, and other early spring- 

 flowering bulbs should have some introduced. Auriculas to- 

 be top-dressed, and if any are soddened with wet the drain- 

 age should be examined immediately. The young plants 

 of Pansies obtained as cuttings or side shoots should be 

 planted in good loamy soil well incorporated with dung. The 

 sooner the Hyacinths and other bulbs for forcing are potted 

 the better. The principal essential to success is having 

 the pots filled with roots before top-growth commences - r 

 the bulbs to be selected for weight or substance in prefer- 

 ence to size, and to be potted in half leaf mould or decomposed 

 cowdung and half loam, with a sprinkling of silver sand. 

 The quality of the soil is not of primary importance, as the 

 flower-stalk will depend in a great measure upon the organ- 

 ised matter stored up in the bulb, and brought to perfection, 

 under the favourable influences of heat, light, and air. When 

 potted to be placed in a frame or pit and covered with 

 6 inches of dry sawdust in preference to coal ashes. When 

 the pots are filled with roots and the heads begin to sprout, 

 they should be taken up and treated with a supply of heat, 

 according to the time when they are wanted in bloom ; but 

 they grow stronger and bloom better when gently excited 

 by heat and supplied with air. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



The great business here will be to house the more tender 

 sorts of plants in good condition; the pots to be rubbed clean 

 and search to be made for worms when their casts appear- 

 on the surface of the soil. Sometimes the soil is so porous 

 with worm holes as to necessitate repotting, which should be- 

 done at once. Any moss or weeds on the surface of the soil 

 to be removed, and it should be fresh surfaced if necessary. 

 In the case of large tubs or large pots, which are more un- 

 manageable, an application or two of lime water will banish 

 any worms that may be-in them. When housed, all the air 

 possible to be given in fine weather, even to the entire with- 

 drawal of the lights, only reducing the ventilation when un- 

 favourable changes in the weather take place. Each plant 

 to be allowed sufficient space for the air to play freely around 

 it. The Chinese Primroses to be shifted into the pots in 

 which they are to bloom, in a soil composed of turfy loam, 

 old cowdung, leaf mould, and silver sand; to be planted 

 high to prevent the damping-off in the winter, and three 



