276 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 27, 1883. 
useful bunches for present use. Passing through another archway we 
find a long Peach house 100 feet lonsr in two divisions, the varieties in 
the second early house being Grosse Mignonne, Goshawk, and Dr. Hogg, 
with Pine Apple and Lord Napier Nectarines. The other or late bouse 
contains Bellegarde (midseason var.), Prince of Wales, Late Admirable, 
Lord Palmerston, Barrington, and llivers’ Orange Nectarine. The back 
wall is covered as well as the trellis, all the trees being remarkably clean 
and in the best bearing condition. 
The last and chief range to be noticed consists of a series of vineries 
with a conservatory in the centre. This is a well-proportioned and very 
excellent three-quarter span range 200 feet long, and nearly new : 
erected by Messrs. Weeks & Co. of Chelsea. This new range consists of 
a fine central greenhouse or conservatory with two central stages, together 
with side stages and a tank underneath the tesselated floor capable of 
holding 7000 gallons of water, and having several inlets for conveying 
the water to it from the roofs. On each side of this house are two 
vineries, the Vines in which were rooted and planted in 1881 in an 
inside border 17 feet wide and an outside border not yet being made. 
Good drainage was afforded, and the soil consisted of loam, lime rubble, 
and horse droppings. The first house at the east end is planted with 
Muscats and one (central) permanent Vine of Roberts’ Gros Guillaume, 
a few of the same, with Foster’s Seedling being planted temporarily 
between the Muscats. The second is a house of mixed late varieties— 
Gros Colman, Gros Guillaume, Trebbiano, Raisin de Calabria, Alicante, 
Syrian, Madresfield Court, Lady Downe’s, and Muscat of Alexandria. 
The third, an early house, contains Black Hamburgh, Trentham Black, 
Black Prince, Buckland Sweetwater, Foster’s Seedling, Gros Maroc, 
Mill Hill Hamburgh, Muscat of Alexandria, White Frontignan, and 
the Strawberry. The remaining house at the west end is occupied 
with Gros Colman, Lady Downe’s, Mrs. Pince, Gros Guillaume, Black 
Alicante, Alnwick Seedling, and Syrian. The rods of Gros Guil¬ 
laume in girth average 5 inches and the other rods about 4 inches. 
The lateral-bearing bunches of Gros Guillaume, many of them measure 
inches round, and are bearing Grapes worth going a journey to see, 
three excellently formed bunches close together on one Vine weighing 
30 lbs., well-shaped and regularly furnished with fine berries. The other 
varieties are also excellently represented. In a short time a very fine 
collection of superior Grapes may be expected in the houses referred to, 
and which we trust will give Mr. Ward such a return for his labour as 
will compensate him for the grievous disappointment he has had to 
endure in consequence of the virulent attack of the phylloxera, which he 
has combated so successfully by the stamping-out process. The Vines 
are clean now, and fine Grapes may be expected at Longford. 
The gardens are well appointed in the working departments, good 
offices, Grape-room, bothy, Mushroom house, and useful shedding being 
provided, and needed, for the demands are great, produce having 
to be packed four times a week during the London season. The noble 
owner, who is the Lord-Lieutenant of the county of Wilts, is highly 
esteemed as a landlord and employer. He appears to cherish his garden, 
and provides all that is necessary for its efficient management, water 
only needing to be “ laid on ” to render it complete, and this valuable 
addition will doubtless be made eventually, especially as it would not be 
a work of great magnitude. 
Such an establishment as this is worthy of a competent manager, and 
such it undoubtedly has in Mr. Ward, for good work is seen in every 
department, and the admirable order that is observant throughout, and 
the extreme neatness that prevails everywhere, are prominent features 
of the surroundings of Longford Castle. 
THE OUTDOOR CULTIVATION OF MUSHROOMS. 
[Abstract of a paper read before the members of the Sheffield and Hallamsliire G-ardeners’ 
Mutual Improvement Society, by Mr. W. K. Woodcock, gardener to Mrs. Firth, 
Oakbrook.] 
Whilst residing in London in May, 1882,1 had the opportunity of visit¬ 
ing and inspecting the grounds of Mr. J. F. Barter, Mushroom grower and 
spawn manufacturer, Lancefield Street, Harrow Road, London, and from him 
I gathered much useful information, the value of which I have fully proved 
in practice, and I can commend his system to all who wish to grow Mush¬ 
rooms largely. 
SHELTER FOR MANURE. 
In the case of a large grower like Mr. Barter, who has large quantities of 
manure^ under preparation at one time, no cover is found necessary for it 
whilst it is under such preparation ; but for a gardener who has to collect 
manure daily from what is made in the stables on the establishment, I 
believe it to be necessary that some kind of shelter should be found for 
throwing off the rainfall, as it takes a considerable time to collect a sufficient 
quantity of manure for making up a bed of proper size. At Oakbrook I 
have found what answers the puroose admirably in a number of lengths of 
corrugated iron roofing, each 5 feet by 2 feet. These I set up with their 
base about 5 feet apart, the tops resting against each other so as to form a 
span roof with open ends, and as the heap of manure enlarges I add ad¬ 
ditional lengths of roofing. We give the manure so collected a turn over 
about twice a week to prevent it becoming very hot and drying mouldy, 
which would be fatal to Mushroom-growing; this does not take°up much 
time, as the lengths of roofing are easily set aside and replaced when the 
work is done. By the time sufficient manure is collected, which takes five or 
six weeks, it is in capital condition for use without further preparation. If 
by repeated turnings and keeping the covers over it is likely to get too dry, 
I take off the covers for a few days and leave it open to showers until it is 
sufficiently damped, when the covers are replaced. I have been particular 
in explaining my mode of preparing the material, as the greatest of all diffi¬ 
culties which gardeners often experience hi their endeavours to grow Mush¬ 
rooms is finding a suitable place in which to prepare the manure, but I have 
found none to equal for efficiency and simplicity this plan of portable covers, 
by which any out-of-the-way corner may be used ; and if corrugated roofing 
is not available some old boards nailed together and used in the same way 
would be equally serviceable, and failing either of these, some stout stakes 
driven into the ground and old canvas or garden mats stretched tightly 
over them to form a span roof would answer the purpose. 
MAKING THE BEDS. 
In commencing to make up my beds I first measure off and mark out by 
a small stake driven in at each outside corner the ground it is to cover; this 
is 2 feet G inches wide, and of length in proportion to the material I have 
ready. A cartload of manure will make about 3 yards in length of bed, 
which, when completed, should be 2 feet G inches in diameter at its base, and 
the same in height from the ground-line to the apex of any length, though 
it should not be less than 5 or G yards, as a less quantity would scarcely 
maintain a sufficiently lasting heat to cause the spawn to woik satisfactorily. 
The sides should be equal, and sloped up, so as to meet in a sharp ridge at 
the height mentioned. Mr. Wright in his book suggests that for those 
inexperienced in the work, guide sticks are useful for getting the correct 
form and dimensions of the bed, which sticks are made as follows :—Two 
sticks are cut, each a yard long, which are driven into the ground 6 inches, 
at a distance of 2 feet 6 inches asunder; the tops are then pulled together 
until they nearly meet and fastened there, when they give the outline of the 
bed. When we have marked out the base of the bed by the four corner pegs, 
a layer of manure is spread over the space to a depth of about 18 inches, 
which is then trodden and beaten until it is as firm as we can make it, when 
another layer is put on and treated similarly, drawing the sides in as the 
work proceeds until the required height is reached ; and as the top layer can¬ 
not be trodden, it must be made as firm as possible by beating with the fork 
and spade ; when finished the sides should be quite straight, even, and 
smooth, and as firm as they can be made. I next insert a thermometer 
well into the bed, and my portable covers come in useful again, set up against 
each other over the bed to throw off any heavy rains until the heat has 
sufficiently subsided to be safe for spawning. 
SPAWNING AND COVERING THE BED. 
I find that in a day or two after making up the bed the thermometer 
shows a temperature of from 120° to 130°. I wait until that has subsided to 
just below 100°, when it is safe to insert the spawn. In doing this I do not 
dibble holes into the bed with a peg, as is often done, but raise up with my 
hand a small flake of manure, put in a lump of spawn about the size of a 
hen’s egg, and beat down the manure again. 
All the portable roofing is at once removed, which is done with so far as 
this bed is concerned, and is ready to be used again in the preparation of more 
material. I next cover up the bed as lightly as possible with a thin layer 
of long litter, taking care to watch the thermometer, and if the heat rises 
again to over 100° I open the covering along the top to let it escape. In a 
fortnight to three weeks after spawning it will, if all has gone satisfactorily, 
be ready for covering with earth ; before doing which I like to see that the 
spawn has permeated thoroughly through the bed, which is easily ascertained 
by taking out a handful of the material from different places in which the 
mycelium in the form of fine white threads ought to be plainly visible. For 
earthing I use maiden loam taken from the fields, well broken up and 
sufficiently moist to be easily beaten with a spade to a smooth hard face. 
Our plan of procuring this loam is to take off the turf and lay it aside, then 
take out a sufficient quantity of loam and replace it with the same quantity 
of any ordinary garden soil, afterwards replacing the turf. If the loam is 
too dry when procured it should be broken up small, and well watered a day 
before being used. If such loam is not procurable, any good garden soil 
may be used, providing it is not too light and sandy. 
The thickness of the casing of soil as given in Mr. Wright’s work, and as 
carried out in my practice, is 1 inch when beaten quite firm if of a heavy 
texture, lg inch for medium, and 2 inches for light soils. As soon as earthed 
the bed is re-covered with long litter, but the covering will now require to be 
thicker and closer than that put on after spawning. The length of time 
which will now elapse before Mushrooms may be expected will vary with 
the season of the year and the temperature of the external air. If in the 
summer or autumn months Mushrooms may be looked for in a fortnight to 
three weeks from earthing; if in the winter months thrice that time may 
probably elapse before they appear. My bed was made up at the end of last 
year, and was earthed about the end of January in this year. Mushrooms 
commenced to show themselves early in March, and I gathered a few off the 
bed all through that month, although the weather was exceptionally cold 
nearly the whole of the month. They, howevei - , came but slowly and in 
small numbers during that month, but as soon as April came, and with it 
more genial weather, they began to show themselves all over the bed in 
large clusters. From thence until now, a period of four months, Mushrooms 
have continually been gathered off that bed in large quantities. If I had 
kept an account of the number or weight of what has been taken from this 
bed from the first gathering till now it would have been startling, and 
probably almost incredible. But it has not been less than three bushels. I 
gathered more than a bushel at one time in the middle of May. 
I do not believe that such quantities are, or can be, produced on indoor 
beds, nor will the indoor beds continue in bearing for so long a period as 
those out of doors. I have had as good beds this season in our Mushroom 
house as I have ever seen or known; but my outdoor bed has, for weight 
and continuity of crop, surpassed them all. From early in November of last 
year up to the present date there has not been a day on which I have been 
unable to gather Mushrooms. 
GATHERING THE MUSHROOMS. 
In lifting the crop care is required in removing the covering so as not to 
disturb the young and half-grown Mushrooms, and it is essential that the 
covering be immediately replaced so as to conserve not only the warmth, but 
what is of more importance in the summer months, the moisture contained 
in the bed. It is well to avoid watering the bed unless absolutely necessary, 
which it sometimes will be in very hot drying weather. I follow Mr. Barter’s 
practice of not watering the bed directly, but of putting it over the litter 
covering. I put salt in the water in the proportion of about a quarter of a 
