January iB, 1895.] 



Garden and Forest. 



27 



proved the best pink Carnation. As a reason it was stated 

 that his soil is iieavy. This same grower is now talking the best 

 Daybrealis and Ferdinand Mangolds into the Boston market, 

 which would indicate, as has generally proved tlie case else- 

 wliere, that heavy soils are better for some varieties than for 

 others. Still, it is surprising with regard to William Scott, in- 

 troduced by Dorner, whose soil, f am informed, is heavy, and 

 that few of his introductions succeed elsewhere on that 

 account. 



Mrs. Fisher is still the best all-round white variety, and the 

 inost profitable, being also an excellent summer variety. This 

 variety is not grown extensively beyond the limits of the 

 Boston trade. Lizzie McGowan is considered the best white 

 about New York. The difference in choice lies more in the 

 methods of cultivation than in any other particular. If Lizzie 

 McGowan flowered for a longer season, no variety could be 

 more profitably grown, according to New York florists. It is 

 a rather slender, "grassy" grower, and does not take upas 

 much room as Mrs. Fisher, and it may be planted earlier. It 

 needs to be propagated and planted earlier for best results. 

 Tidal Wave is a popular market variety of a deep rose shade, 

 and, although discarded for a time in favor of some of the 

 newer introductions, which it was supposed would supersede 

 it, it is now again coming into favor. It is an abundant pro- 

 ducer, but lacks a good stem. E. G. Hill has gradually grown 

 in favor. It is a good clear scarlet of medium size and grace- 

 ful outline. The stems are long and stout, and the flowers 

 bear few side buds, an important qualification of a good Car- 

 nation. In size of flowers, vigor and abundance of crop it 

 does not come up to Hector ; some proportion of the latter, 

 however, burst the calyx, a serious defect. Daybreak has 

 become a popular Carnation, and justly so. The color is an 

 attractive shrimp-pink, its flowers extra-large, with stems two 

 feet long. When introduced three years ago it showed a 

 decided tendency to rust, and was not considered as promis- 

 ing as it has since proved. It is looking well everywhere, and 

 carries an abundant crop. Nicholson is another magnificent 

 light pink of different shade, with a tinge of salmon. Ada 

 B.yron has not given general satisfaction with the majority of 

 growers, but with the introducer it is a wonderful variety, 

 and, witliout doubt, the most beautiful in form and the most 

 fragrant of all Carnations. Ferdinand Mangold is still the best 

 crimson. 



Uncle John, the Stuart and Jacqueminot are not favorites 

 now, but it is to be hoped the introducers will vindicate them- 

 selves at the forthcoming exhibition. -n 7-. 



Wellesley, Mass. T. D. Hatfield. 



Glo.xinias. 



THIS is a suitable time to sow seed for a crop of these beau- 

 tiful flowers. Well-drained seed-pans are required, with a 

 mixture of equal parts of loam, leaf-mold and sand, that on 

 the surface being finely sifted. The pan should be stood in 

 water until the soil is thoroughly wet through, and the seed 

 sown on the surface and left uncovered. A pane of glass 

 should be placed over the pan, and over this a sheet of brown 

 paper, the latter being removed after the seeds have started. 

 As the seeds are very fine, the pans should never be watered 

 from the surface. It is preferable to dip the pan, and to have 

 the water soak up from the bottom until it begins to appear 

 on the surface. A warm moist atmosphere is most favorable 

 to germination. When the plants are large enough to handle 

 they should be pricked into boxes containing the same mix- 

 ture of soil as before, and finally planted into pots with a little 

 dried cow or sheep manure added to the mixture. They 

 should be kept growing as freely as possible, and all flowers 

 pinched off as tliey appear, except, perhaps, one on each plant 

 to show the variety, so that those not worth growing may be 

 discarded. In the fall they should be ripened off gradually, 

 and the tubers stored away in a dry place in a temperature not 

 exceeding fifty degrees. Toward the end of December they 

 will show signs of starting, and should be planted in boxes in 

 a mixture of sand and leaf-mold and sprinkled lightly until 

 their growth is well begun, when they should be potted singly 

 into small pots at first, and shifted on as they require it. The 

 potting compost should be as open as possible, the pots well 

 drained, and water should be given carefully. The secret of 

 success lies in keeping the soil sweet and free from stagna- 

 tion. It is not advisable to sprinkle the foliage, since the leaf, 

 being downy, retains the moisture too long. This is the main 

 cause of rust, to which these plants are subject. Gloxinias 

 should be kept in a light position near the glass, but they are 

 benefited by a slight shading from strong sunlight. A tem- 

 perature of sixty degrees should be maintained by night, with 



a rise of ten degrees by sun-heat, and fresh air should be 

 admitted at every favorable opportunity. Much can be done 

 toward the improvement of varieties by careful selection and 

 hybridization. We raise a batch from seed every year, and 

 get the best results from the tubers the second year, and, with 

 the exception of a few of the finest varieties, we seldom keep 

 them longer than two years. ,,,.,,. 



T.irrytown, N. Y. William Scott. 



Mushrooms. 



WE often hear of failures in the cultivation of this vegeta- 

 ble, and among the main causes are (i) that the spawn is 

 not good, (2) that the droppings were not in the right condition, 

 and (3) that the bed has been kept too dry or too wet. It is 

 of the first importance that the spawn be fresh. If it has been 

 kept in a store for a long time It is likely to have thick white 

 fibres running through it ; these show that it has at some time 

 been kept warm and started to run, which should not occur 

 until it is in the bed. If, on the other hand, it has fine tissues 

 of fibre all through it, it is in the right condition. Another 

 guide as to freshness is that fresh spawn is not hard and that 

 it has a fresh odor. 



Two methods are generally followed in preparing the drop- 

 pings for the bed. These are drying by exposure and drying 

 by heating. I prefer the latter method for the reason that the 

 main object in drying them is to obtain a gentle, lasting heat, 

 and when they are put through a regular course of heating this 

 brings out the rank heat better than when they are dried by 

 exposure. Have as many droppings as will make the size of 

 bed that is desired, discarding all the long straw that can con- 

 veniently be separated from them. They should be thrown 

 into a heap and stand until they get hot and begin to have a 

 whitish appearance on the inside of the heap. They should 

 then be spread out thinly, and they will regain their natural 

 color when they are cooled off. They should be treated in 

 this way two or three limes until there is no sign of moisture 

 when they are squeezed in the hand ; they will then have a 

 pleasant odor. 



The bed should be made from one foot to fifteen inches 

 in depth. A good layer of the droppings should be put 

 in and beaten down until it is firm. One layer after another 

 should be added until the required depth is gained. It is de- 

 sirable to mix a little sifted loam through the droppings since 

 this keeps the heat down and the spawn runs well in it. A 

 convenient rammer is made of a piece of hard wood five 

 inches square and nine inches long, with a short handle in the 

 middle. 



The bed must stand a few days before the spawn can be 

 put in, to let the heat rise and decline, for a bed should be 

 spawned only as the heat declines. On this rise and fall of tem- 

 perature depends much of the future success, for if the heat 

 rises too high it will just as surely fall too low. I prefer that it 

 should not get much above ninety-five degrees, and the heat is 

 retained much longer if the spawn is put in at eighty-five de- 

 grees on the decline. Of course, the closer the pieces of spawn 

 are set the more mushrooms may be expected. Aliout six 

 inches apart each way is a good distance. The spawn should 

 be broken into pieces about two inches square, buried two 

 inches deep, and the bed made firm. The edges of the bricks 

 seldom contain much spawn. About one inch of good loam 

 should be put on the lop and firmed down with a spade, and 

 a gentle wetting with tepid water should be given ; the water 

 should always be of the same temperature as the bed. If 

 the spawn is dry the bricks should have a gentle watering 

 some hours previous to using them. The bed should have a 

 good covering of hay or similar material, which will retain the 

 moisture as well as 'the heat. The bed should be watched, 

 and If the hay gets moldy it must lie taken out and dried, and 

 if the surface of the bed becomes dry syringing is generally 

 all it will require. If on examination the bed is found dry it 

 should be watered, but drenching must be avoided, as (his is 

 injurious. Mushrooms appear in a month to six weeks from 

 spawning, and when they show, a watering of dilute nitrate 

 of soda is beneficial ; this causes thein to grow quickly and 

 prolongs the season oi production. The application of nitrate 

 of soda should be repeated every ten days or two weeks until 

 the bed is spent. 



Any place which can be kept dark and near an even tem- 

 perature of fiftv degrees will suit them. .A cellar is one of the 

 best places. Mushroom-houses are sometimes placed near 

 the boiler-house ; this is radically wrong, causing a dry 

 heat, and making frequent dampings necessary. Mus'hrooms 

 delight in a moist atmosphere, and well repay attention in 

 this particular. ,,, „ 



Soutli Lancaster. Mass. " ■ J-'^'''^'"^- 



