September 22 , 1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 275 
planting arrives. Under ordinary circumstances it is not necessary 
to do more than trench the ground—not, however, bringing up much 
bad soil, but stirring it so as to allow the water to pass through it 
freely and be conducted away by the drains, which must not be more 
distant than 15 feet apart, and should not be less than 3 feet deep, 
as it is not the water near the surface that wants carrying off, but 
that which, without the drains, would lodge in the subsoil. Light 
soils should have a liberal addition of strong fibrous loam, whilst 
those that are very stiff will be improved bj r adding an eighth part 
of old mortar rubbish. Such a course of preparation is mostly suffi¬ 
cient to secure success with bush, pyramid, espalier, and cordon 
trees, no manure being mixed with the soil but placed on the surface 
after the trees are planted. Ground intended for bush fruit, such as 
Gooseberries, Currants, Raspberries, &c., should, on the other hand, 
have a free application of manure, as there is little danger of their 
growing too freely to fruit satisfactorily. In forming borders for 
trees to be trained to walls it will be necessary, unless the soil is of 
a texture that cannot well be improved, to form proper borders, so as 
to secure the best results, and to not only form them, but to keep 
them exclusively for the trees. More than half the ills attending 
fruit trees against walls result from the cropping of the borders, and 
the consequent mutilation of and deep spread of the roots ; the 
heavy manuring for the vegetable crops also induces luxuriant 
growth of the trees, which is unfavourable to fertility. 
Half the height of a wall affords ample breadth of border for any 
fruit tree. It is not necessary to restrict the roots to that extent, but 
have a low 4^-inch wall at that distance from the main wall, and 
pigeon-holed so as to allow of the roots passing outside if requisite. 
Any tendency to over-luxuriance is readily stayed by annually or 
biennially taking out a trench and cutting the roots close to the 
low border wall, and this without interfering with the principal 
roots, or giving so great a check as often results from lifting. The 
soil where it is unsuitable for forming borders should be taken out 
to a depth of 3 feet, the base sloping from the wall outward not 
less than 1 inch in 12. About 3 inches of rubble should be spread 
in, and covered with a mixture of two parts of coarse sand or fine 
gravel to one of lime, thoroughly incorporated and brought to the 
consistency of thin mortar. This with a proper inclination will 
form a good bottom, being, in fact, a capital concrete. Allow it 
to harden, then place a drain longitudinally in the border and two- 
thirds its width from the wall, erecting the dwarf wall on the con¬ 
crete. Put in 6 inches of rubble, coarsest at bottom, cover with 
a layer of turves grass side downwards, and fill-in with compost 
9 inches higher than the intended level to allow for settling, the 
material being put on if possible somewhat dry and tolerably firm. 
The top 3 or 4 inches of a pasture where the soil is a medium-textured 
loam, inclined to be strong rather than light, adding a tenth of old 
mortar rubbish, or in lieu thereof chalk in pieces up to the size of an 
egg, with a fortieth part of half-inch bones, and if the loam be 
deficient of grit add a tenth of road scrapings, the whole to be 
thoroughly incorporated, will suit every description of fruit tree, and 
with proper surface dressing will endure indefinitely. With such 
borders the trees are under control, and need less of those after¬ 
manipulations that as often result in sterility as in fruitfulness. 
FRUIT HOUSES. 
Melons .—Considerable attention is needed at this season to prevent 
canker at the collar and in the old growths, the only remedy for 
which is to apply freshly slaked lime on the first appearance of the 
disease, repeating the application as necessary. To lessen the ten¬ 
dency to canker and the fruit cracking reduce the supply of water 
both at the roots and in the atmosphere ; indeed, the syringe must 
now only be used on very bright days, damping the house morning 
and afternoon while the fruit is swelling. The hot-water pipes may 
be lightly coated with sulphur to prevent the increase of red spider. 
Give a good watering to the last batch of plants directly the fruits 
begin swelling, earthing up the roots, and making the soil moderately 
firm. A temperature of 70° to 75° must be secured by day, with 5° 
less at night, allowing an advance from sun heat to 85° or 90°, venti¬ 
lation being afforded carefully and moderately. In pits and frames 
water overhead must be avoided, and be very sparingly employed at 
the roots. Renovate the linings when the heat is found declining, 
and employ a covering over the lights on cold nights. Keep all 
laterals in check by frequent stopping, affording as much light as 
possible to the principal foliage. 
Cucumbers .—The prolonged dull wet weather has necessitated the 
employment of fires to secure a temperature of 65? to 70° at night 
and 70° to 75° by day. Syringe only on bright fine days and early in 
the afternoon, so as to have the foliage dry before night. The plants 
for autumn fruiting must have liberal attention to secure a strong 
growth, as much of the after success depends on this ; therefore 
remove all tendrils and staminate blossoms, cropping but lightly, 
and do not allow the fruit to hang too long on the vines. Pinch out 
the growing points every eight or ten days ; continue earthing up the 
roots as they protrude through the sides of the ridges and hillocks, 
and encourage surface roots by additions of fresh lumpy soil. The 
plants for winter fruiting have been potted off, and are growing in a 
genial temperature of 70° to 75°, with 10° to 15° more when the 
weather is favourable. Keep them near to the glass, and spare no 
pains to ensure a sturdy growth. Complete at once preparing the 
fermenting materials, if such are employed for bottom heat, a tempe¬ 
rature of 90° being suitable, as the heat will decline ; but where the 
bottom heat is furnished by hot water 80° is sufficient. Hillocks 
or ridges should be formed about 10 inches in depth and a foot 
over the top, employing turfy loam, and when the soil becomes 
warmed through the plants may be placed out, making the soil 
moderately firm. Pinch out all laterals up to the bottom of the 
trellis as soon as they become visible, and guard against slugs by 
drawing a circle round each plant with soot or quicklime a short 
distance from the stem. Maintain the heat in frames and pits by 
renovating the linings as necessary, and cover at night. Be careful 
in supplying water, and keep the growths fairly thin, stopping them 
a joint or two beyond the fruit, and removing bad leaves. 
MUSHROOM HOUSE. 
Preparation of material for forming successional Mushroom beds 
will need to be made, and it must be commenced with as little delay 
as possible to secure a supply when it is most appreciated— i.e., during 
the winter months. In the preparation of the materials the neces¬ 
sary dryness should be secured with as little fermentation as possible, 
as that induces a state of decay which is not favourable to the spread 
of the spawn and the growth of the Mushrooms. In open dry sheds 
there is no difficulty in securing the proper drying of the materials, 
especially if it be spread out thinly. Be careful not to have the 
material too dry, as after the beds are made much moisture will be 
evaporated, and the chances are that the heat will become exhausted 
for the want of sufficient moisture to continue the fermentation. 
Crude horse droppings are considered alone available for Mushroom¬ 
growing ; but this is a mistake, as more enduring beds, as well as 
those producing the best quality Mushrooms, are those made of about 
three parts horse droppings to one of stable litter or sweepings formed 
of straw, chaff, sawdust, or hay. The material having been properly 
prepared and laid in the chambers or bins heat will soon be produced, 
and the beds should then be trodden well down or beaten with a 
mallet as firmly as possible. If the heat rise unduly beat the bed 
well down again, as it will settle down more closely as the fermen¬ 
tation progresses. When the heat in the body of the material is not 
over 90° nor less than 85° make holes in the bed about 2 inches deep, 
or so as to admit the pieces of spawn, which should be about half an 
inch beneath the surface of the bed. The holes may be 6 to 9 inches 
apart every way, and in each place a piece of spawn about a couple 
of inches square, pressing the material firmly around them with a 
thin layer over them, and then beat down as firmly as possible. In a 
week or ten days the bed should be earthed with a couple of inches 
depth of good yellow turfy loam, which can be beaten down to about 
an inch in thickness, making it smooth with the back of the spade. 
A covering of dry hay or soft straw will ensure greater uniformity 
of heat and moisture in the bed, but it must only remain on until the 
Mushrooms commence showing. Earlier-formed beds will shortly 
commence bearing, and should have the surface kept regularly moist 
by damping with tepid water, and the temperature kept steady at 55°. 
Avoid a too moist condition of the beds and atmosphere. 
