146 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 19, 1885. 
shades. Then we come to the crimsons, in which maybe included 
the shades of magenta and lake, and so avoid making too many 
groups of colours. Among these is a dazzling red variety 
called Victor Lemoine, a superb flower; Sceur d’Auguste Miellez, 
crimson purple; Louis Vau Houtte,bright purple cerise; Surpass 
Pottsii, purple crimson, large and very double; Henry Demay, 
flowers brilliant purplish crimson; Gloire de Douai, a fine deep 
crimson, flowers semi-double and exhibiting its cluster of golden 
anthers in centre, which make up a most conspicuous flower. 
Franyois Ortegat is another semi-double variety with crimson 
purple flowers ; and Atrosanguinea, a brilliant crimson suffused 
with purple, flowers very large and full. 
Beyond those named there are innumerable shades of rosy 
ilac, sa’inon, sulphur, and creamy whites, with rosy carmine and 
peach, to say nothing of various whites with varying shades of 
rose, pink, and flesh, all beautiful in themselves, and grand orna¬ 
ments for the embellishment of our gardens in summer time. 
To c'ose this brief note of so fine a group of decorative plants 
without mentioning the variety known as P. tenuifolia fl.-pl. 
would be unjust, seeing it is so distinct and so choice, indeed it 
is unequalled ; its large heads of bright crimson flowers and its 
elegant linear leaves, in all about 20 inches in height, fit it for 
association with even the choicest border perennials. As a pot 
plant it is suitable either for conservatory decoration or for 
exhibition; in fact, anywhere when well grown it is a most 
telling plant and one which cannot be too strongly recommended. 
The majority of the species are natives of Siberia, China, and 
Southern Europe, while for many fine forms we are indebted to 
the enterprise of continental florists.—J. H. E. 
LORD NAPIER NECTARINE IN AMERICA. 
1 HAD not seen the Journal for two years, until January 1885, 
when I was glad to find that it was still in such good condition. For 
fifteen years I looked for it every Thursday night, and when I came here 
I missed my old friend very mm-h. A happy New Year to you, Mr. 
Editor, the same to “ Wiltshire Rector,” and convey the same to Messrs. 
L. Castle, W. Iggulden, and all those who have helped me out of many a 
difficulty. 
The chief object of my writing now is to discuss a point with Mr. 
Muir, Maryam ,, concerning Lord Napier Nectarine. I have grown this 
Nf ctarine in pots, and ripened the fruits out of doors, and was very satisfied 
with the returns given. Two yearsago I built a lean-to house, and among 
other trees ordered from England were two Lord Napiers, both on Plum 
stocks 4 feet high. One was planted near the back wall and the other near 
the front. Last year (1884) when the trees were in flower, we had our 
ordinary spring fogs off the sea, but by the aid of a camel-hair brush I 
had a very fair set throughout. On a tree of Rivers’ Early there were 
thr<e dozen and five, of Grosse Mignonne two dozen and ten, of Lord 
Napier on the front also ten dozen and three. Not expecting to hear 
anything about Lord Napier’s bad qualities, I did not note much about it, 
but I should describe it as a weak grower, large-flowering, free setter, 
medium size, high colour, and second-rate flavour. When they went on to 
the table they looked splendid. I am very glad that I have two trees of 
it. I intend to work some for out of doors. I question if Mr. Muir has 
the right sort. We have one here about the same size and colour, that if 
a goo l Turnip and it were set before me, I would take the Turnip and 
leave the Nectarine for someone else.—R. Lewis, Rhode Island, U.S., 
America. 
MUSHROOM FAILURES AND SUCCESSES. 
Mr. J. Wright’s most interesting account of the Mushroom 
!< gold fields ” doubtless stimulated not a few gardeners and others to 
try their prentice or seasoned hands on Mushroom culture. 
After studying his little book my stomach soon yearned 
for Mushrooms, and the path was so easy, success appeared so 
assured, that the desire and determination to grow were simul¬ 
taneous. Beginning with my own stable, I interdicted all physic, and 
the droppings were duly collected and prepared. Here, however, 
came my first error—that of omission to take sufficient of the short 
soiled straw. The result of this omission was that my bed did not 
-appear to heat much. My first attempt was in the open on a bed 
built as directed, about 12 feet long. My garden being divided by a 
poor hedge from a lane not a few of the labourers passing, seeing the 
process of building, marvelled at the elevation, and when my back 
was turned inquired what we were going to grow there. They were 
not further enlightened than by being informed that “ master was 
going to try some new sort of seeds.” The wonderment rather 
increased than diminished when it was covered with litter, and the 
weather being cold, watiled hurdles lined with straw followed. As I 
have said, the heating of the bed was not very successful, and at the 
end of six weeks, seeing no signs of coming dishes of the delicious 
fungus, I marked the same as failure No 1, and had almost given 
orders for the breaking-up of the bed. About eight weeks after 
spawning, however, my man called my attention to the bed by ex¬ 
claiming, “ Mushrooms be coming up as thick as Hops now, sir.” I 
was quickly at his side, and truly very pretty looked the little patches 
of small wliite spots, the largest no larger than a pea. It made me 
fancy that the manna of the Israelites must have looked like this. 
Mrs. Y. B. A. Z. had predicted failures ; Mushrooms were such 
curious things, they would never come if they were looked for, &c. I 
went down to my house (this garden is some distance from the house). 
1 did not actually crow in the street, but I crowed vigorously indoors, 
and saying, “ Ah ! who said we could not grow Mushrooms ? who 
said she did not care what Wright said, for that Wright would be 
wrong ?” Inwardly I had already sent away baskets of Mushrooms 
in theory, for after all there is no greater pleasure in obtaining anj r - 
thing than is the pleasure contained m giving it to those who do not 
possess it. Ah me ! a few days later I removed the wrappings to 
look at the little pictures growing and swelling. What a change ! 
Instead of the myriads of little white spots only here and there a 
speck. Where were they gone ? What had happened ? After 
examining the litter 1 came to the conclusion that all the vermin in 
the garden believed that the erection was intended for their special 
benefit, and had acted accordingly. The litter was swarming 
with slugp, woodlice, &c. ; in fact, some stanzas of Hood’s 
“ Haunted House,” slightly shifted, would describe the scene. 
“ The slug was crawling on the vacant chair, 
The snail upon the settle. 
“ The centipede along the threshold crept, 
The cobweb hung across in mazy tangle ; 
And in its winding sheet the maggot slept 
At every nook and angle. 
“ The woodlouse dropped and rolled into a ball, 
Touch’d by some impulse occult or mechanic ; 
And nameless beetles ran along the wall 
In universal panic.” 
Well, that day I did not crow as I returned from the garden. I 
explained that accidents would happen even in the best regulated 
gardens, and that I believed that a monster gathering of Mushrooms 
had been held on the downs, and that all ours had departed to be 
present. I ordered all the litter to be cleared away ; the bed was well 
dusted with lime, and we did cut seven Mushrooms from that bed. I 
had succeeded so far in growing Mushrooms, as there was more than 
one. I thought surely they will yet come, and I left the bed, but 
they did not. This garden has a bank and hedge round three sides of 
it, and slugs and woodlice do revel in it. 
After this success (?) I returned to Wright's little book. To be 
sure, he had warned us against these intruders, and suggests arsenic 
for one of them, but I am not fond of putting this about on things 
eatable. Having thought over this I came to the conclusion that a 
small patch similar to mine in a garden that like Mrs. Poyter’s house 
“ possessed all the plagues of Egypt ” was too great a temptation to 
vermin. Of course, you roust, as in the matter of Turnip-sowing, 
sow enough for the fly as well as yourself, and I saw no prospect of 
being able to devote sufficient space for this purpose. 
My next effort then was in a sort of stable. Here I made against 
the wall a bed about 15 inches deep and 2 feet wide. This time I 
followed Mr. Cutbush’s advice, and covered the spawn at once with 
earth. I found soon after that the covering over the bed of litter had 
woodlice in it, so I had it cleared away. In due course, and much 
earlier than in my trial out of doors, the small white specks appeared. 
I now watched closely and found some disappearing, and found also 
woodlice, but by the aid of salt sprinkled over the bed this enemy was 
checked or appeared to be, and a fair quantity of splendid Mushrooms 
were cut of flavour, as it appealed to most of us, far surpassing the 
ordinary specimens. The size of them made two or three sufficient 
for a meal, and one that was exceptional, at least to us, measured 27 
inches round. This one I sent away, five or six persons in the house¬ 
hold partook of it, and the verdict was very much in its favour. 
Still, between the woodlice and what I suppose was the fungus 
(Xylaria vaporaria) the quantity did not equal the quality. A large 
proportion did “ go off ” in the way mentioned by Mr. Wright, 
becoming soft and brown, whilst the size of horse Beans, and de¬ 
clining to “ move on ” to the summons of any gardening police. This 
disease would appear to affect Mushrooms under cover and not in the 
opfn. 
The popular impression is that Mushrooms come up in a night. 1 
know not how they may act on a down or in fields. It seems to me 
that when small they are very slow in growth, and at this stage 
of millet seed size a slug or snail would not feel satisfied without a 
large supply disappearing, looking, too, at the holes made in large 
specimens by these voracious feeders. It is in this very small con¬ 
dition that they require watching, and (am I right ?) I feel disposed 
on appearance to well sprinkle with salt. During the later stage the 
growth is far more rapid, and they may grow out of harm's way, but 
after my watching experience I am forced to the conviction that when 
found in the open one has been saved and numbers lost in this infantine 
