332 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Momordes buccinator, var. aurantiacum. By E. A. Rolfe (Bot. 

 Mag. tab. 8041). — Nat. ord. Orchidacece, tribe Vandece. Tropical America. 

 The flowers embrace a wide range of colour, causing seven " species " to 

 have been created, but all are the same. A tufted epiphyte, leaves oblong, 

 3-9 in. Flowers subglobose, ranging from ivory white to light green, 

 deep yellow, brownish purple, and speckled. — G. H. 



Mulching Garden Vegetables. By R. A. Emerson (U.S.A. Agr. 

 Exp. Stn. Nebraska, Bull. 80; July 15, 1903). — Bearing in mind that 

 farm gardens, made with considerable enthusiasm in the spring, are apt 

 to suffer from neglect on the approach of dry hot weather, when the rush 

 of farm work is at its height, it seemed advisable to determine by 

 experiment the merits of mulching versus cultivation (hoeing) in the 

 vegetable garden. 



The general result of the test seems to be that mulching produces 

 a heavier return than cultivation, especially in a dry hot summer, but 

 renders the crops more susceptible to early autumn frosts by delaying 

 maturity. 



In most cases it is deemed advisable to apply the mulch only when 

 the plant is well established, and when the soil has become warmed ; and 

 naturally much depends on the character of the season, and the situation 

 of the garden, upland or lowland. 



Mulching was found to be very beneficial in the case of cabbages, 

 tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, potatoes and sweet potatoes ; less so for 

 transplanted onions, beet, salsafy, carrots, parsnips, peas and melons ; and 

 harmful to lettuce, drilled onions, and sweet corn. — C. H. C. 



Mushroom-growing, Principles of, and Mushroom Spawn- 

 making. By B. M. Duggar (U.S.A. Dep. Agr. Bull. 85, Nov. 15, 

 1905 ; with 7 plates). — This bulletin consists of sixty pages, of great 

 interest to mushroom-growers, presenting the results up to the present 

 time of the work on the problems of mushroom culture and spawn- 

 making. As an outcome of this work " spawn of pure-culture origin is 

 now being produced on a very large scale by several growers, and is 

 giving excellent results. This method enables the grower to improve and 

 maintain the most desirable varieties of mushrooms in the same manner 

 as is possible with other plants propagated from cuttings or buds." This 

 work has been carried on in co-operation with the University of Missouri 

 for the past three years. The methods described differ from any hitherto 

 used. They are of more general application, and give far better results. 



It is not possible at this time to give more than a few brief 

 suggestions concerning the possibility of cultivating other edible species 

 than Agaricus campestris. The determination of the fundamental needs 

 of diverse species will require study during a term of years. 



It is stated that the majority of failures in the growth of mushrooms 

 may be attributed either to poor spawn, very poor manure, unfavourable 

 temperature, or heavy watering during the early stages of growth. 



M. C. C. 



Nannorhops Ritchieana, H. Wendl. By 0. Beccari (Bull. B. Soc. 

 Tosc. Ort. 11, p. 325 ; Nov. 1905). — It has formerly been included under 



