50 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 20, 1882. 
However, the culture of Mignonette in pots is perhaps the 
most important, and a few hints upon the subject may be 
acceptable, especially wht re it is desired to have a supply 
during winter or early spring, as preparations for sowing the 
seed should now be made. It is during the early months of 
the year that Mignonette is especially in demand, and very 
good prices are then obtained both for plants in pots and 
flowers. The latter are always valuable to the bouquetists, as 
they supply a fragrance that is not overpowering, and at the 
same time the colour is of a neutral tint that can be arranged 
with any other. All through the year, however, the demand 
is good, and fairly remunerative prices are obtained, even when 
it is most plentiful. In most of the large establishments near 
London, where growing for market is carried on to a great ex¬ 
tent, a large proportion of the stock of Mignonette is ready for 
sale by March or a little later, and many thousands of pots 
are sent to Covent Garden and other metropolitan markets 
from then onwards through the summer months. Seed is sown 
towards the end of the present month or during August, and 
the plants are preferably grown in frames heated sufficiently 
to exclude frost and prevent an undue accumulation of 
damp, which causes the greatest injury to Mignonette in 
winter. But large quantities are grown in cold frames, 
covering being employed in severe weather, and, provided 
that excessive moisture can be guarded against, fine sturdy 
plants are obtained in this way with vigorous spikes of flowers. 
One great necessity is a free exposure of the plants at all times 
when there is not too much wet or frost, as if the frames are 
long closed the plants soon draw up, become weakly, and 
flower poorly. 
The compost to be employed is an important consideration, 
and perhaps where failures with Mignonette occur they are 
chiefly due to mistakes in this direction. A heavy soil that 
would prove too retentive of moisture, or one that is so light 
that it dries very quickly, must be avoided ; a rich friable loam 
with a good proportion of leaf soil and lime rubbish, say one- 
third, constitute a suitable compost, to which a little sand may 
be added if there is too great a tendency to heaviness. The 
lime rubbish is a highly necessary element, and though fairly 
satisfactory success may be occasionally obtained without it, in 
the majority of cases it is indispensable, and in its absence the 
best results cannot be ensured. A few of the rough siftings are 
employed for draining the pots, and they are then filled -with 
the compost rather firmly, the surface being smoothed for the 
reception of the seeds, which are sown thinly but evenly, very 
lightly covered with a little finely sifted soil, and vmtered 
thoroughly with a fine-rose can. Some growers leave an inch 
or more of space from the surface of the soil to the rim of the 
pot to allow of a little rich compost being added as the plants 
are advancing; but this is by no means absolutely necessary, 
as, if any additional nutriment is needed beyond that afforded 
by the soil, supplies of weak liquid manure can be given, 
though some of the best Mignonette I have seen has been grown 
without any such assistance. 
In sowing the seed, especially where large quantities of 
plants are grown, some judgment is needed to avoid wasting it, 
and at the same time to provide for a full pot. When the 
seedlings are well formed—less than an inch in height, thin¬ 
ning is necessary, retaining eight or ten in a 48 size pot, accord¬ 
ing to the strength of the plants. Early thinning is advisable, 
as the soil is then less disturbed in removing the superfluous 
plants, and the others are not so likely to become drawn. 
During winter water must be supplied very carefully, always 
choosing a fine day for the operation, and ventilating the frame 
as much as possible afterwards, removing the lights ; indeed, 
these should be kept off as much as possible at all times. A 
cool moist base for the pots to stand upon is important, and 
perhaps nothing is better fitted for this than a layer of coal 
ashes or cinders an inch or two in thickness, moderately firm, 
and well levelled with a rake. 
Though frames are preferable, of course Mignonette can be 
grown in any cool house if the plants be placed near the glass 
and freely exposed to air, as the great point is to obtain sturdy 
growth, and it canDot be insured without attention to these 
matters. As a rule it will be found that market Mignonette 
greatly surpasses that grown in gardens in this respect, and it 
is entirely due to well hardening the plants, so that the sligh 
supports supplied are scarcely needed, and an even potful of 
vigorous plants with fine healthy foliage and sturdy spikes of 
flowers are secured. —L. Castle. 
MUSHROOMS FOE THE MILLION. 
( Continued from page 530, last vol.) 
INSERTING THE SPAWN. 
It is worthy of special notice that those who are 
extensively and successfully engaged in growing Mush¬ 
rooms for market, not only find it to their advantage 
to use spawn liberally hut to insert it in large lumps. 
It is found the best practice to divide a brick into eight 
portions, and insert these about 9 inches apart, the 
smooth sides being placed outwards, and level or nearly 
so with the surface of the ridges. When the work is 
done those portions are plainly visible and are well 
represented in the engraving (page 463, last volume). 
No holes are made for receiving the lumps, but the 
manure is simply held up with the left hand, and they 
are forcibly pressed in with the right. There are then 
no interstices between the spawn and manure for the 
accumulation of steam, which if allowed destroys the 
mycelium. The reason why small portions of the 
spavm bricks are not deemed safe is this—if the bed 
should happen to be a little too hot or too wet it might 
injure if not kill the mycelium on the outside of the 
lumps, and if these were small the danger of the "whole 
being destroyed would be great, but being large the 
risk of this occurring is reduced to a minimum, as if 
the outsides of the lumps "were damaged, the mycelium 
in the interior might be as safe and good as ever. The 
wisdom and even economy of using large pieces will 
now be apparent. There is scarcely any doubt that 
numbers of Mushroom beds have been rendered effete 
by breaking up the bricks into too many and conse¬ 
quently too small portions wdien using them. It is far 
better to use large pieces, even if they are inserted at 
wider intervals, than to use small portions and insert 
them much nearer together. The somewhat fanciful 
practice of crushing the bricks almost to powder, and 
spreading the particles on the surface of a bed as if 
sowing seed before adding the soil, cannot be recom¬ 
mended. It is not adopted by growers of Mushrooms 
for market because considered wasteful, as if it results 
in anything at all it is a myriad of peadike heads that 
are worse than useless, as they are not only worthless 
but arrest the growth of finer Mushrooms from the 
stronger mycelium in the interior of the bed. 
The time for inserting the spawn is when the heat of 
the bed is decreasing, but has not fallen below 80° 
Falir., an inch below the surface. This proper tem¬ 
perature can be ascertained by placing a thermometer 
in the bed, but it will not be necessary to use it many 
times. Growers of produce for market judge of the 
heat by the hand, and when the manure is a little 
warmer than the hand is when placed amongst it the 
spawn is inserted. It is never safe to do this when 
the heat is rising, as it may afterwards increase 
and kill the mycelium. If the spawn is good and the 
bed in the right condition the former will commence 
spreading or “ running ” in three days. Then, and not 
till then, the bed is cased with soil. Previously, if 
needed, it is covered with litter of the thickness re¬ 
quisite for maintaining the necessary heat. After being 
soiled it is again covered with the same object ; and 
it may be observed that so long as the surface of the 
