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March 23,1882. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 231 
wants. Mushrooms, then, are nutritious, ancl their 
increased cultivation is desirable. It must now he 
shown that they can he grown in nearly every village 
and in the suburbs of all cities and towns. 
MEANS FOR GROWING MUSHROOMS. 
Vast numbers of persons who have the means for 
growing Mushrooms never attempt their culture, pre¬ 
sumably because of the supposed necessity of costly 
structures and of the existence of some mystery per¬ 
taining to the culture of the crop. Costly structures 
are not necessary for the growth of Mushrooms on 
either a large or small scale, nor is there any profound 
mystery attaching to their culture. On the contrary, 
elaborately built and too highly heated structures have 
in not a few cases led to failure, while the extra¬ 
ordinary care that has been taken in preparing the 
beds for this very simple hut supposedly mysterious 
crop has had the certain effect of defeating the object 
of the cultivator. So far from expensive houses being 
requisite for Mushroom culture, neither houses, nor 
sheds, nor cellars, nor lofts, nor caves are indispensable. 
That Mushrooms are grown in houses and other en¬ 
closures above and below ground is true, and most 
valuable good Mushroom houses are, even essential, 
in the gardens of the affluent. 'Where a regular and 
unbroken supply—a given quantity—has to be pro¬ 
vided daily an increase of temperature is occasionally 
requisite, and forcing to a greater or less extent has to 
he resorted to. Under those circumstances good Mush¬ 
room houses are important adjuncts of gardens, and 
the more so since they can he, and are, employed for 
advancing other crops, such as Seakale, Ehubarb, and 
blanching salads. Without, then, saying anything 
against Mushroom houses, hut, on the contrary, admit¬ 
ting their usefulness, it must still he asserted in the 
most firm and unequivocal manner that Mushrooms in 
abundance can be grown from September to June, 
both months included, without the aid of any building 
whatever, and the best proof of the accuracy of this 
assertion is the fact that a far greater quantity are 
grown on beds in the open air during the period named 
than are produced in all the houses, sheds, and cellars 
in Britain. At a moderate estimate 2 tons of English- 
grown Mushrooms are sold in Covent Garden weekly, 
gathered from beds made in the opeu air in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of London, and a considerable quantity also 
comes from the caves in France. 
CULTURE IN THE OPEN AIR. 
As an example of the open-air system of Mushroom 
culture the routine of what may be termed a Mushroom 
farm in the western district of the metropolis may be 
adduced. Mr. J. F. Barter’s reputation as a manufac¬ 
turer of Mushroom spawn has long been established, but 
it was not so widely known until recently, by his exhi¬ 
bitions at South Kensington, that he is equally suc¬ 
cessful as a grower of Mushrooms for the million. The 
details of his method of culture, therefore, cannot fail 
being instructive, and the results he has achieved 
ought to encourage others who have better means for 
carrying out the practice than he has to engage in the 
same work and persevere until they succeed. They 
will then prove for themselves the truth of the state¬ 
ment that “ no vegetable nor fruit crop will give equal 
returns to the cultivator off a given plot of ground; ” 
and they will at the same time provide the inhabitants 
of populous districts with what they certainly do not 
now possess—an adequate supply of this much-coveted 
and important esculent. It is self-evident, too, that 
Mushrooms can he grown in nearly every village and 
in the suburbs of almost all cities and towns, for the 
crude materials are there—horses and soil—and only 
intelligent labour is requisite to turn them to profitable 
account. As mere statements, however, relative to the 
remunerative character of Mushroom culture cannot be 
expected to convince the public, facts must be adduced, 
and figures founded on those facts, the accuracy of 
which anyone may test for himself. Then, if the 
results astonish him and he cannot accept the grounds 
on which the figures are based, only one alternative 
can be suggested—namely, that he do what the writer 
has done—seek the privilege of seeing the Mushrooms 
gathered and weighed, and form his own conclusions 
on the subject. — J. Weight. 
THE COMMISSIONERS FOR THE EXHIBITION OF 
1851 v. THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY AND 
PERCIVAL DE CASTRO AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF 
THE DEBENTURE HOLDERS. 
On Wednesday morning, Mai’ch 22nd, the Court of Appeal, com¬ 
posed of the Master of the Rolls and Lords Justices Cotton and 
Lindley, reversed the judgment of Mr. Justice Fry of the 15th June 
last year, dismissing this action with costs. Their Lordships differed 
from Mr. Justice Fry on the construction of the agreement under 
which the Royal Horticultural Society hold the South Kensington 
Gardens from the plantiffs, as to the powers and duty of the Expenses 
Committee thereby constituted for the purpose of regulating the ex¬ 
penditure of the Society, and held that the Commissioners had suffi¬ 
ciently proved their case as against the Society ; that the relation 
between these defendants and the plaintiffs was that of tenant and 
landlord, and not that of partners ; that the debenture holders were 
bound by the agreement above mentioned, and had no equitable 
rights against the plaintiffs which would enable them to defeat their 
claim ; and that the plaintiffs were entitled to recover possession of 
the South Kensington Gardens from the Society, and their costs as 
against both defendants. Possession of the Gardens was ordered to 
be given to the plaintiffs within four months. 
As was pointed out by the Lords Justices Cotton and Lindley, the 
result of the decision to the debenture holders is, that they absolutely 
lose their money without remedy against anyone. 
The fate of the Gardens is obviously now in the hands of the Com¬ 
missioners, and it is to be hoped that they may see their way to such 
fresh arrangements with the Society as may insure the proper main¬ 
tenance of, at all events, the greater pare of the Gardens for the use 
and enjoyment of the Fellows of the Society and of the public. 
The following Counsel appeared. For the plaintiffs—the Solicitor- 
General (Sir Farrer Herschel), Mr. Crossley, Q.C., and Mr. E. Beau¬ 
mont. For the Royal Horticultural Society—Mr. Fischer, Q.C., and 
Mr. William Haughton. For Mr. De Castro and debenture holders 
—Mr. Cookson, Q. C., and Mr. D. De Castro. 
NOTES ON THE QUALITY OF VINE BORDERS. 
It is merely a truism to say that the Grape Vine has for many 
years absorbed a greater amount of the time and means at the 
command of the gardener than has any other cultivated plant. 
Care and labour have been bestowed on Vines to such an extent 
that in some cases the result is to the detriment of all the other 
departments of the garden. Plant-growing in such cases is of the 
most ordinary description. The flower gardening is either dull or 
glaring, and vegetable-growing most likely beneath the notice of 
the chief. True, it is not always so, as we have gardeners who 
are known as widely for their skill in other departments as in 
Grape culture ; but in all these cases the vineries occupy the first 
place in the gardener’s attention, though others are not neglected. 
It is very noticeable that fewer specialists are to be found amongst 
