210 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ March is, i8 82 . 
only insures the blanching of the stems, which adds greatly to 
the value of the crop, but it also simplifies the packing, as 
when the stems are so close together they are cut and 
placed in the punnets quickly and evenly. A light soil or 
compost is invariably employed, but the best results appear 
to have been produced by old Mushroom-bed manure not too 
much decomposed, which is sifted or screened and placed in 
beds 3 or 4 inches deep quite level, moderately firmly, and if 
at all dry it is thoroughly watered before sowing the seed. 
Almost any kind of light soil is suitable, and old tan was 
used at one time very largely for the purpose ; indeed there 
was one grower at Yauxhall some years ago who employed 
that entirely. It is also said that the sawdust which is now 
used in some stables is well adapted for Mustard and Cress ; 
but it is too “ strong " when first received from the stables, 
and requires storing for a time or to be drenched with water 
to remove some of the ammoniacal compounds with which it 
is saturated. An important object is to obtain salad free from 
grit, and on this account the old Mushroom-bed manure seems 
to be especially useful, as it forms a moist nourishing medium, 
in which the rootlets can readily extend. The seed not being 
covered with soil also aids in insuring a clean crop, and the 
surface being rendered as fine and even as possible, the pro¬ 
duce is obtained of equal height, which also adds consider¬ 
ably to the value of the crop, and facilitates the cutting and 
packing in punnets. 
These particulars especially apply to the winter and early 
spring supply, which has to be raised in heated houses or 
frames. In the summer beds are prepared outside. Where the 
early supply receives much attention small span-roof houses 
or lean-to frames are devoted entirely to the purpose, as 
are the inside borders of late vineries. In the former case 
the houses are about 9 feet wide and 6 feet high, and vary in 
length from 30 to 60 feet, but of course the length is of little 
importance. They are heated with 2-inch or 2^-inch pipes, 
one row extending round near the sides. The beds are 4 feet 
wide, thus leaving a space of a foot for a path down the 
centre, which are edged with narrow boards 3 or 4 inches deep 
on each side, and next to the pipes also. The frames are 
about 5 feet wide, with a pipe along the front. In the case 
of the vineries the prepared soil is simply spread on the sur¬ 
face of the border to the required depth, and the seed is sown, 
sometimes being pressed slightly into the soil with a flat piece 
of wood or something similar. A good supply of water is 
then given, and the seed is covered with ordinary garden mats. 
These are only removed when it is necessary to supply water ; 
and this must be carefully attended to, as little is given after 
germination is well advanced, or decay is likely to result. The 
mats are kept on during the day until the young plants have 
grown an inch or two, when they are removed to permit the 
seed leaves to acquire a bright green colour—a point of some 
importance in combination with well-blanched stems. 
In from eight to twelve days the crop is ready for cutting 
— i.e., when the stems are about 4 inches high, and to effect 
this a peculiar but simple knife is used. This has a straight 
flat blade like an ordinary dinner knife, but not rounded at 
the end, about an inch broad and a foot long. Near the 
handle is a crank turned upwards at right angles to the blade 
like a bricklayer’s trowel, and the end is again turned at right 
angles, but parallel with and away from the blade ; this is in¬ 
serted in the handle just like the trowel. With this instrument 
the salad is cut much in the same style as mowing with a 
scythe, the blade being flat on the ground. One sweep of the 
knife cuts enough or more for a punnet, and is taken up with 
the hands aud placed in evenly, so that it appears almost as 
it had grown in it. Some practice is required to effect this 
satisfactorily, and skilful experienced cutters can gather and 
pack over a thousand punnets a day. The punnets are then 
packed in boxes and conveyed to market in vans. The chief 
labour is removing the old material from the beds, which has 
to be done after every crop ; this is stored away in a heap for 
several months and then incorporated with fresh material. 
Where the compost is purchased this is a rather expensive 
item, and one grower, I am informed, pays 2s. 6cl. a load for 
old Mushroom-bed manure. In the best-managed establish¬ 
ments, however, Mushrooms are grown in addition, and that 
outlay is thus to some extent reduced. It should further be 
added that both houses and frames are constructed in the most 
economical manner possible, utility and cheapness being the 
chief objects. 
As to the space required, some idea may be gathered from 
the fact that the punnets are about 6 inches in diameter, and I 
should think at a safe estimate a square foot of a good crop 
would fill two punnets of Rape, a little more Cress being required. 
Thus a heated frame 60 feet long with abed 5 feet wide would 
yield about fifty dozen every fourteen days throughout the year, 
as the lights could be removed and the heat discontinued as the 
season advanced. Taking twenty-five crops in the year at 
the rate of la. per dozen would give a yearly total from one 
frame of £62 10s.; or to put it in another way, the yearly re¬ 
return per square yard of ground occupied would be over £l 10s., 
a quarter of an acre so cropped giving £1815 per annum. 
Although Mustard and Cress seed differ in cost to the extent 
of 4s. per bushel, there is not much difference in the results to 
the grower. For instance, a bushel of Mustard or Rape is 
sufficient to sow 256 square feet of bed, the same quantity of 
Cress being sufficient for 384 square feet; but for the same cost 
as the Cress 340 feet can be sown with Mustard. The ultimate 
results thus vary slightly, for though a somewhat higher price 
is obtained for the Cress, yet smaller quantities are required, 
and there is more uncertainty regarding the crop. As a guide 
to those intending to grow this salading it may be stated that 
a pint of Mustard seed is required for each 4 square feet, and 
the same amount of Cress for each 6 feet. From about 25 to 
30 per cent, should be deducted from the estimated returns for 
the cost of the seed. Thus, to provide the five hundred dozen 
per week mentioned above between six and seven hundred 
bushels of seed are used yearty, at a cost of something over 
£400, or about one-third of the returns. The punnets are very 
cheap, but even for them, where such large quantities are 
grown, £2 or £3 per week is said to be the average outlay. 
It should be stated that some growers soak the Rape seed in 
water before sowing to hasten the germination. 
Such are a few particulars concerning a very simple crop, 
which, if judiciously managed, can evidently be made more 
profitable than some others apparently of far more importance. 
The prices and quantities have been chiefly furnished by 
reliable market salesmen, and the information obtained from 
several different sources agrees in the main facts. Further, to 
avoid misleading statements as much as possible, the lowest 
figures have been given in each case.—L. Castle. 
YINES AT LONGLEAT. 
( Continued frem page 190.) 
A GLEAM OF LIGHT. 
It was now plain that the soil was deficient in one 
of the essentials of fruit-production, and that one 
proved to be just the one I had thought was particu¬ 
larly abundant. Here, then, is shown the necessity of 
calling in the aid of a chemist or geologist, or perhaps 
both in doubtful cases. There is a hill on one side of 
the garden not more than half a mile away, and there 
is a similar hill on the other side not more than two 
miles distant, both of which produce excellent lime. 
Surely, thought I, there can be no deficiency of cal¬ 
careous matter between these two places, and to add 
lime to a soil which already contains more than a 
sufficiency will be taking up room which may be more 
profitably given to some other ingredient. I also had 
the opinion of two good men on the subject, one of 
whom was a very celebrated Grape-grower, and the 
other occupies a prominent position in the horticul¬ 
tural world. The opinion of both these gentlemen 
agreed with my own, and a test was not deemed 
necessary. 
However, suspicion began to dawn in the minds of 
both my foreman and myself about the same time that 
