751 
EXTRACTS, 
EXTRACTS. 
HORTICULTURAL INTELLIGENCE. 
Culture of Mushrooms in Melox Pits. — About the middle of July, a 
t)ed of long; and short stable dung (fresh from the stable) which has only gone 
through a light course of fermentation, should be made in the pit, for the two- 
fold purpose of raising Melons and Mushrooms; the bed is to be spawned in the 
usual way, about a fortnight after the melons are ridged out; for, if done ear- 
lier, it would be too hot to receive the spawn. As soon as the bed is spawned, 
a quantity of stiff yellow loam, mixed with a little half-decayed leaf-mould, 
should be laid on twelve inches thick for the melons to grow in, and gently trod- 
den down. The melons will ripen about the end of September, and will all be 
gathered about the end of October ; when the bed should be cleared of the old 
plants, and about three inches of the mould removed from the surface, thus 
leaving it nine inches deep for the mushrooms. The bed should then be well 
watered, and again at the latter end of November, but no more all the winter. 
The pit may then become a shelter for green-house or half-hardy plants, 
which may be ranged upon the bed. About the middle of Februarj', the mush- 
rooms will begin to make their appearance, the plants must then be removed 
out of the pit altogether, and plentiful crops of mushrooms will be produced till 
May. By this mode of culture, the thickness of the mould, and hot atmosphere 
of the bed, necessary for the growth of melons, will prevent the mushrooms from 
appearing before February. After the month of March, the bed should be sha- 
ded from the mid-day sun, and plenty of air given, and water occasionally. — 
J. Collier. — Gard. Blag. 
On the Varieties of the Pine Apple. — (Continued from page 677.) — 20. 
Trooper's Helmet. The Cockscomb, Hussar, and broad-leaved Java of the 
Society's Catalogue. Leaves rather long, flat and erect, of a pale yellowish, green 
colour, and mealy on the under surface. Spines middle sized and regular. 
Flowers purple. Fruit orbicularly cyndrical, before ripining pale green and ra- 
ther mealy, when ripe dark ochre, of great beauty, but not very excellent, gene- 
rally weighs from three to five pounds. Pips large, flat, depressed in the centre 
and plaited round the margins. Scales covering half the pips, of a whitish colour, 
and terminating in lengthened blunt points. Flesh bright lemon colour, very 
juicy and high-flavoured without sweetness or brightness, rather of a coarse and 
stringy nature; crown large and spreading, leaves numerous. 
2L Green Providence. This is the Wollaton Providence and New Green 
Olive of the Hort. Soc. Cat. and Green Antigua, and Royal Providence of some 
gardens. The leaves of this sort are very distinct from all others ; they are long, 
very broad, slightly spreading and keel-shaped at the base, tapering to a length- 
ened point ; the upper surface is dull green with scarcely any meal, the lower 
surface is very mealy. Spines middle sized and regular. Flowers purple. Fruit 
pyramidal, broadish at the top, before ripening of a dark green, when ripe of a 
pale orange, sli;.;htly mealy, weighs about from three to six pounds, and is of 
