December 11, 1881. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
589 
Botany {E. P. C. B.). —You cannot do better than continue the course 
you have adopted, the work in question being an excellent one. One of 
the best dictionaries for your purpose is Carriere’s “ Encyclopedie 
Horticole.” 
Meconopsis nepalensis {Idem). —The seed of the Meconopsis nepalensis 
may be sown early in spring in sandy loam, and the seedlings should be 
pricked out in a cold frame which can be well ventilated during the summer. 
In the winter care will be needed in supplying water, as the plants are 
very liable to suffer from damp. In the following spring the plants can be 
transferred to a rockery or thoroughly drained border. It is a good plan 
to make an annual sowing of seed, as the plants are sometimes lost during 
the winter, and established plants are also liable to suffer in wet seasons. 
Japanese Chrysanthemums (TI^. N .).—The following twelve varieties 
are dwarf in habit, free bloomers, and w'ell adapted for greenhouse decora¬ 
tion :—Lady Selborne, early, white ; Elaine, white ; Mdlle. Lacroix, white ; 
Triomphe du Nord, crimson-maroon; Boirquet Fait, pale rose ; Peter the 
Great, lemon-yellow; Tendresse, chamois ; Fleur Parfait, satin rose; 
Flambeau, orange-crimson; Grandiflorum, bright yellow; La Nymphe, 
peach, very fine ; and Simon Delaux, rich crimson-red. 
Scale on Plants {W. A.). —The leaves sent are seriously infested with 
scale, and if the insects spread to the Vines will do great injury. All the 
large leaves should at once be sponged with a solution of softsoap, Gishurst 
compound, or other insecticide of that nature, and if a little petroleum is 
added (about half a wineglassful to a gallon) the application will be more 
effectual. The Oranges and Oleanders are evidently much infested, and no 
time should be lost in banishing the filthy pest from the house. Small 
leaves that cannot be washed should be well syringed with the mixture, 
keeping it well stirred, and preventing by some means much of it draining 
to the roots. It is best used warm, or rather nearly hot, syringing the 
plants an hour afterwards with clear water, and shading them from the 
sun if it is bright. 
Starting Vines (J. P.). —Very much depends on the condition of the 
Vines in determining the period of starting them, and on that point you 
say nothing. If they have had a complete rest, and the wood is exactly as 
it should be—hard, brown, and with bold eyes, you may keep the house close 
now, and proceed as has been directed in our “ Work for the Week ” columns; 
but unless the Vines are well prepared for forcing, they would in all pro¬ 
bability be better if not started till January. By starting them now you 
would have Grapes ripe from a fortnight to three weeks sooner than they 
were last year, but much depends on the weather. We have seen very fine 
Grapes on Vines that produced roots from the stems freely. These are the 
result of a moist atmosphere mainly, and some persons consider they indicate 
defective root-action in the soil. 
Trees, Shrubs, and Plants for an Island {Beader). —Of trees take 
White-stemmed Birch, Weeping Willow, Horse Chestnut, common Ash, 
Japanese Alder (Alnus firma multinervis), common Alder, Marsh Oak 
(Qurrcus palustris), Pinus maritima, Deciduous Cypress (Taxodium dis- 
tichum). Silver Fir (Picea pectinata). This is liable to lose its leader 
growths from spring frost on an island, but we have one which recovered 
and is now fast becoming a fine tree. Thuja Lobbi is so accommodating 
to all sorts of situations as to be worthy of a trial, the tall green columns 
being wonderfully effective among deciduous t.ees. Mountain Ash answers 
well close by the water, and when in berry is most striking. If the soil is 
free from lime then let Ehododendrons be your principal shrub. We have 
two islands clothed with them, and the growth is positively rampant, the 
branches overhanging by the waterside. With them try a fcw Arbutus, 
Berberis, and Ligustrum. A charming fringe of plants may be had by 
mingling together Osmunda regalis, Phormium tenax, and for colour Phor- 
mium tenax Veitchii, which in Sussex grows faster than the green form. 
Pampas Grass, Arundo donax, A. conspicua (the New Zealand Reed), and 
the common Reed (A. fragilis), Iris Pseud-acorus, Meadow Sweet (Spiraea 
Ulmaria), Purple Loosetrife, and BuUrush. The last five plants may also 
bo planted in a foot or two of water if it is so shallow near the island, and 
thus render the fringe still more picturesque. 
Manure for Mushrooms {J. G., Clitheroe). —The following extract from 
Wright’s “ Mushrooms for the Million,” the third edition of which will be 
published shortly, conveys the information you need :—•“ The manure must 
be procured from those stables where the horses are fed chiefly or entirely 
with hard dry food. Let the manure be gathered precisely as the grooms 
remove it from the stalls. On the arrival of the stable refuse at the pre¬ 
paring ground let it be forked over, casting aside the long and comparatively 
clean straw only, such as in itself will generate but little heat if placed in a 
moderate-sized heap; the remainder, which may consist of from one-half 
straw and one-half droppings to two-thirds of the former and one-third of 
the latter, to be mixed and formed into a heap as if building a hotbed for a 
frame. It will seldom be necessary to water it, except perhaps when pre¬ 
pared in August, or early September, and in very dry weather in spring; 
still, if water is needed to accelerate decomposition apply it. In the course 
of from four to six days, according to the nature of the manure and the 
weather, fermentation will be active and the mass hot. The work of turning 
and purifying must now commence, the former to be carefully done or the 
latter will not be effected. Every lock of straw and flake of manure which 
adheres together must be separated, the whole being thoroughly incorporated, 
the outside portions of the heap being placed in the centre. For the purpose 
of making the lowmr part of an ordinary hotbed, one turning after this will 
often suffice ; but it wall seldom indeed suffice for a Mushroom bed, first 
because the material would not be sweet enough, and secondly bf cause de¬ 
composition would not be sufficiently advanced. For insuring both these 
conditions, which are important, from four to six turnings on alternate days 
are necessary. By this practice the mass is sweetened and the straw broken 
and partially decayed with the least possible loss of ammonia. The object 
should be to retain as much of this as possible consistently with the dis¬ 
sipation of other gases that are obnoxious alike to man and to Mushrooms. 
The right condition of the mass for making up in the beds can only be deter¬ 
mined by its appearance and by the sense of smell. It is possible that a heap 
of manure may be sweet and yet not be quite sufficiently decomposed for out- 
purpose and on the other hand it may be in a proper state of decay and yet 
not be sweet; but usually, if the work of turning and mixing is done with 
care and intelligence, purity and texture will be synchronous ; both con¬ 
ditions will be attained at once, and the mass will be ready for use. As the 
manure and its preparation constitute the very foundation for success in 
Mushroom culture it is necessary to bestow careful attention on this matter. 
Person.s having experience in heating with fermenting mateiials can without 
difficulty determine when the mass can be safely used ; but it is certain that 
all who attempt to grow Mushrooms do not always employ the best medium 
for the purpose. They either reject too much straw, a frequent occurrence, 
or when they include it in the mass they make the beds too soon—that is, 
before the requisite degree of decomposition has been attained. It may be 
stated for the benefit of the inexperienced as nearly as possible the condition 
the material should be in for the purpose in question. In appearance there 
should be a homogeneous or inseparable mass of straw and droppings, the 
former preponderating, and broken in particles, none of which should exceed 
9 inches, and few G inches in length, the majority being shorter ; the mass 
should have a slightly greasy appearance, be warm brown m colour, and 
more than “ -warm ” as regards temperature—in fact it should be as hot as 
the hand can be borne in it. And now to the test for purity. This is 
simple. Draw a large handful from the interior of the bulk and apply it to 
the nostrils ; if the result is in any degree offensive another turning is 
needful, but if no impurity is detected then the mass may be regarded as 
sweet. That is a negative test. A positive test is this—a rather pungent 
and somewhat agreeable scent having a suspicion of the odour of Mush¬ 
rooms. When this is the result we have the most tangibled evience of 
possessing a medium in the best manner suited for the production of Mush¬ 
rooms. There is yet another element that must not be oveelooked—namely, 
that of moisture. If the mass is too wet its decay wdll be too rapid; if it 
is too dry a steady and continuous heat will not be maintained. Generally 
speaking, however, when a heap of fermenting manure is well managed the 
four important requisites—texture, heat, purity, and moisture, will be present 
in the proper relative proportions ; but still, with the object of making that 
matter plain to all, it may be said that the material must be sufficiently 
moist to be pressed into a firm adherent mass, yet not so wet that a drop of 
water can be squeezed from a handful of it by the greatest muscular pressure. 
As clearly as possible the various tests have been submitted, in order that 
the uninitiated may be able to start on a firm and sound basis, with good 
hope of deriving profitable returns sooner or later in Mushroom culture.” 
Names of Fruits {Capt. A. P. Rogers). —1, Blenheim Pippin ; 2, Fearn’s 
Pippin ; .3, Lucombe’s Seedling. (R. Osman) — 1, King of tue Pippins ; 2, 
Dumelow’s Seedling. {J. F. W., De%l). —The Pear is, we think, Doyenne 
Boussoch. We do not undertake to name Chrysanthemums, which are 
varieties of florists’ flowers. 
Names of Plants [W. F. T., Gibralier). —Odontospermum (Asteriscus) 
maritimum, a member of the natural order Compo^tee, and useful for its 
autumn-flowering character. {C. B.). —Both specimens were small and 
withered, but 1 resembles Mucuna prutiens ; 2 we cannot recognise. 
{R. P. 0.). —1, Davallia canariensis pulchella ; 2, Davallia canariensis. 
( G. F. A'.).—1, Cypripediumlongifolium ; 2, Coelogyne obesa; 3, Saccolabium 
df'uticulatum. (A. G.).—One of the sprays is of Begonia ihsignis, the 
other Eupatorium Weinemannianum. (A. T. B .).—Osmanthus ilicifolius. 
COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— December 10th. 
HE.iVY consignments of St. Michael Pines to hand, prices considerably reduced, and 
also Nova Scotia and Canada Apples. Business dull. 
FRUIT. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
Apples .. .. 
J sieve 
2 
6 
to 8 
6 
Oranges. 
.. 100 
4 
0 to 
6 
0 
Chestnuts 
bushel 
16 
0 
0 
0 
Peaches . 
perdoz. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Cobs, Kent .. 
per 100 lbs. 
60 
0 
0 
0 
Pears, kitchen .. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Currants, Red 
h sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
„ dessert 
dozen 
1 
0 
3 
0 
„ Black 
1 sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Pine Apples English., lb. 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Figs .. .. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Plums . 
i sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Grapes .. ,. 
1 
6 
4 
0 
Strawberries.. .. 
.. lb. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Lemons .. .. 
,, case 
10 
0 
15 
0 
St. Michael Pines 
. .each 
3 
0 
S 
0 
VEGETABLES. 
S. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
S. 
d. 
Artichokes 
. dozen 
2 
0 
to 4 
0 
Mushrooms .. . 
punnet 
0 
0 to 
1 
6 
Beans, Kidney 
lb. 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Mustard and Cress 
punnet 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Beet, Red 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Onions. 
bunch 
0 
3 
0 
4 
Broccoli .. 
bundle 
0 
9 
1 
0 
Parsley . . dozen bunches 
2 
0 
8 
0 
Brussels Sprouts 
4 sieve 
2 
6 
S 
0 
Parsnips . 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Cabbage .. .. 
dozen 
0 
0 
1 
0 
Potatoes . 
cwt. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Capsicums 
100 
1 
6 
2 
0 
,, Kidney . 
. cwt. 
4 
0 
8 
0 
Carrots .. 
bunch 
0 
S 
0 
4 
Rhubarb. 
bundle 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Cauliflowers .. 
dozen 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Salsafy. 
bundle 
1 
0 
0 
6 
Celery .. .. 
bundle 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Scorzonera .. . 
bundle 
1 
6 
0 
0 
Coleworts dcz. 
bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Seakale .. .. per basket 
2 
0 
2 
6 
Cucumbers 
. each 
0 
4 
0 
8 
Shallots. 
.. lb. 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Endive .. .. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Spinach. 
bushel 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Herbs ,. .. 
. bunch 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Tomatoes 
.. lb. 
0 
6 
0 
9 
Leeks .. ,. 
. bunch 
0 
3 
0 
4 
Turnips. 
bunch 
0 
4 
0 
6 
Lettuce .. ., 
1 
0 
1 
6 
IMPOETANT LITTLE THINGS. 
FARM BUILDINGS. 
Utility before all things is required in farm buildings, and this 
test is never applied more forcibly to them than at this season of the 
year, when it becomes imperative that all the animals of the farm 
