September 20, 1883. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
203 
out:—Take three parts of horse dung without litter, two of cow dung, one 
of decayed tanner’s bark, one of sheep’s dung, and one of good loam ; mix 
to the consistency of mortar, and mould in small frames like those used 
by brickmakers, G inches long, 4 broad, and 2 deep. Three holes to be made 
half through the bricks an inch apart with a blunt dibble for the reception 
of the spawn. They should be put on boards for the convenience of moving 
abroad during fine days, as they must be made perfectly dry, which they 
•often appear to be on the outside when they are far otherwise internally. 
Before they are perfectly' dry they require great care in handling and turn¬ 
ing from their aptitude to break ; but in about three weeks, if dry weather, 
when perfectly dried they become quite firm. To pervade them with the 
•spawn, a layer of fresh horse litter which has laid in a heap to sweeten, as 
for a hotbed, must be formed G inches thick in a dry shed. On this a course 
-of the bricks is to be laid and their holes completely filled with spawn, and 
■a3 the bricks are laid in rows upon each other the upper side of each is to be 
scattered over with some of the same. The bricks are not placed so as to 
touch, so that the heat and steam of the dung may circulate equally and 
freely. The heap is to terminate with a single brick, and when completed 
■covered with a layer 6 inches thick of hot dung, to be reinforced with an 
.additional 3 inches after a lapse of two weeks. The spawn will generally 
have thoroughly run through the bricks after another fortnight. If, how¬ 
ever, upon examination this is not found to be the case they must remain for 
ten days longer. The bricks being allowed to dry for a few days before they 
sire stored will then keep for many years. 
FRUIT. 
P. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
3. 
d. 
Apples .. .. 
I 
0 
to 2 
6 
Grapes. 
l 
0 
to 3 
0 
it • • . • 
per barrel 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Lemons. 
10 
0 
20 
0 
Apricots 
.. box 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Melons. 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Cherries.. .. 
.. $ sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Nectarines .. 
dozen 
2 
0 
6 
0 
Chestnuts .. 
.. bushel 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Oranges. 
6 
0 
10 
0 
Currants, Black 
.. J sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Peaches . 
dozen 
2 
0 
10 
0 
it Ksd 
-. | sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Pears, kitchen 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Figs .. .. 
0 
9 
1 
0 
„ dessert 
dozen 
1 
0 
3 
0 
Filberts.. 
.. .. ft. 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Pine Apples, English 
.. ft. 
3 
0 
4 
0 
Cobs .. 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Raspberries .. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Gooseberries.. 
.. ^ sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Strawberries.. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Keeping Black Hamburgh Grapes (C . J.). —The Grapes that have been 
ripe now for six weeks will not keep so long as those that are ripened about 
this time, as the sun has much power in late August and early September, 
and acting on ripe thin-skinned Grapes, such as the Black Hamburgh, 
prejudicially affects them—not infrequently causing those that were jet 
black when first ripe to assume a reddish hue. When this takes place the 
Orapes are not only deteriorated in appearance, but the flavour is impaired 
and their keeping qualities considerably reduced. In order to insure Black 
Hamburgh and other thin-skinned Grapes keeping well they should be 
■lipened beneath a good spread of foliage, yet not so crowded as to interfere 
with the free admission of light and air to the principal leaves. The Grapes 
not only colour quite as well, but the foliage prevents the sun from rendering 
them over-ripe, or at least prevents their losing colour—a sure indication 
■of their days for keeping being numbered. As your Grapes have already 
’begun to “ mildew,” which we apprehend is to decay and become mouldy, 
we think they will not under any circumstances keep long, probably not 
tnore than a few weeks. We presume you are fastidious in removing 
•decayed berries as they appear, the bunches being examined frequently for 
the purpose, and every berry in the least decayed removed. This is abso¬ 
lutely necessary. Instead of firing at night, as a rule you should have fires 
in the daytime, and then ventilate freely, the heat being afforded early in 
the day and turned off so that the heating medium becomes nearly cold 
before nightfall. A little air may be given at the top of the house, which 
will prevent the deposition of moisture through the night: but when the 
weather is wet the house should be closed day and night, a gentle fire heat 
being employed to keep the air buoyant, and if moisture accumulates on the 
inside of the glass admit a little air by the top and bottom ventilators to 
•dispel it. A moderately moist atmosphere is not injurious to Grapes 
keeping, provided it is not stagnant. The temperature by artificial means 
•ought not to exceed 50° at night, and above this in the daytime air should, 
whenever the weather is favourable, be freely admitted. It will be advisable 
to cover the inside border with dry mats to prevent the evaporation of 
■moisture from it, and the outside border should be covered with shutters 
to throw off the wet. The Grapes will keep better after the foliage begins 
to fall if they are cut with as much wood as can be spared, and the shoots 
inserted in bottles containing clear rain water with a few pieces of charcoal 
in each, the bottles being fixed in an inclined position so that the bunches 
will hang clear of the bottles. A dry and cool fruit-room is a suitable place, 
the Grapes, from the more equable temperature, keeping much better than 
In the variable temperature and moister atmosphere of a vinery. We 
ihave cut excellent Black Hamburgh Grapes through December, and occa¬ 
sionally had very good bunches in January, but they were not ripened until 
towards the end of September. 
Names of Fruit ( Croclcham ).—Red Autumn Calville. {G.W.B.). —The 
Apple is Duchess of Oldenburg. The Pear is not ripe. 
Names of Plants (W. M.). —Helianthus multiflorus plenus. (./. B.). — 
The plant is Siegesbeckia orientalis, a native of India, and introduced to 
this country about 1730. It is very troublesome in some places, increasing 
rapidly if not checked. (T. £.).—The specimens reached us in such bad 
•condition that it was quite impossible to recognise them. (M. H. L ).—The 
Abele, Populus alba. 
COYENT GARDEN MARKET.— September 19th. 
Market quiet, with a steady supply of all classes of goods. English Pines in 
■demand. 
VEGETABLES. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
a. 
S 
d. 
Artichokes 
.. .. dozen 
2 
0 
to 4 
0 
Mushrooms 
.. .. punnet 
1 
0 
to 1 
6 
Asparagus, 
English bundle 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Mustard and Cress punnet 
0 
2 
0 
3 
Asparagus, 
French bundle 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Onions 
0 
0 
0 
4 
Beans, Kidney .. ft 
0 
3 
0 
4 
Parsley .. 
dozen bunches 
3 
0 
4 
0 
Beet, Red 
.. .. dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Parsnips .. 
.. .. dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Broccoli .. 
0 
9 
1 
0 
Peas .. 
0 
9 
0 
0 
■Cabbage .. 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Potatoes .. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Capsicums 
.. .. 100 
1 
6 
2 
0 
„ Kidney .. cwt. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Carrots .. 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Radishes .. 
dozen bunches 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Cauliflowers 
.. .. dozen 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Rhubarb .. 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Celery 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Salsafy .. 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Cole worts 
doz. bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Scorzonera 
.. .. bundle 
1 
6 
0 
0 
Cucumbers 
.. .. each 
0 
4 
0 
6 
Seakale .. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Endive .. 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Shallots .. 
.ft. 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Fennel 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Spinach .. 
2 
6 
3 
0 
Herbs 
0 
2 
0 
0 
T jmatoes 
.ft. 
0 
6 
0 
0 
Leeks 
0 
3 
0 
4 
Turnips .. 
0 
0 
0 
4 
Lettuce .. 
1 
0 
1 
6 
i 
USE OF GREEN AND FODDER CROPS FOR 
VARIOUS PURPOSES. 
The value of green and fodder crops, including vegetables, 
will be determined and accepted under so many and such various 
circumstances, that it becomes a subject not only of great im¬ 
portance, but of such wide application for agricultural purposes, 
that it seems at first sight a subject too extensive and compre¬ 
hensive for the pages of this Journal. But when we consider 
that many of the vegetables which will come under review have 
been treated of to some extent under the heading of their cul¬ 
tivation it will render unnecessary in some cases any lengthened 
observations upon their different use3. The home farmer in his 
position will, of course, admit of no exception, and therefore 
various remarks applicable to the case of farmers in general 
must be accepted by him also; at the same time we hope so to 
arrange our remarks and observations as to be worth the atten¬ 
tion of landowners and their agents. It certainly is high time 
that all possible benefit which can be derived from the consider¬ 
ation of the agricultural interest should receive the full and 
ample advantage of any changes ca’culated practically to im¬ 
prove the cultivation of the land and the particular products 
included under the heading of our subject. 
It is difficult to lay down any rule for cultivation of green 
crops and vegetables which shall be of general advantage, chiefly 
on account of the variations of soil, situation, and climate. 
There is, however, one thing which is beginning to make a 
strong impression on the agricultural mind, which may be con¬ 
sidered the best prelude to beneficial change: it is this, that 
many of the former practices in farming have broken down, and 
that the sooner some change is made the better. We are, how¬ 
ever, of opinion that corn-farming will, if accompanied with the 
production of other sale crops suitable to the soil and climate 
and extended over larger areas, be again made to pay in this 
country, and the point of rotation of crops, as well as of selection 
of products, will have to undergo a great change, some of which 
we have previously alluded to, particularly in this Journal, 
dating from the 19th of April until the 17th of May last, under 
the heading of “ Ploughing-in or Feeding Green Crops.” It 
must, however, be accepted that the production of sale crops 
stand first in the rotation of cropping and cover the largest 
area, making stock-feeding as refers to sheep a secondary con¬ 
sideration, and that provision for them must under no circum¬ 
stances be allowed to diminish the extent and acreage of the 
rent-paying crops in the arrangement or scheme for cultivation 
of the arable land. A general impression prevails in the minds 
of some of our largest sheep-farmers, and also of many writers 
who follow suit, and take it for granted that because many men 
of ample capital continue extensive sheep-farming, that the 
cereals and other sale crops are not profitable in cultivation 
We must, however, refer to our own experience to support our 
opinions, whether they are in accordance with those of others 
or not; for although during a long number of years we con¬ 
tinued to keep and feed not only a large flock of sheep, together 
with a dairy of cows and fatting cattle in the boxes, at the same 
time we were, perhaps, as fond of stock in connection with our 
farming pursuits as any farmer or amateur of the present 
period, yet we never allowed the green and root crops to prevail 
in extent sufficient to prevent an area of sale crops being pro¬ 
duced quite equal to the payment of all the comparatively fixed 
charges of rent tithes, and rates. To be able to do this farmers 
must discard the idea that sheep-farming is a necessity, v hen, 
in fact, it is frequently adopted by men of ample capital for 
