168 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 24 1882. 
1 have assisted in transplanting much larger trees from a 
vinery, these being carried a considerable distance, disposed 
against a high wall and a house built over them. In every 
case the trees the following season were more or less forced, 
carried fair crops of fruit, and formed excellent growth. 
It is always of importance in lifting to preserve as many 
roots as possible, this being best attained by opening a deep 
trench as far otf the stem as circumstances will admit or the 
size of the tree necessitates, and when forking the soil from 
the roots to keep it thrown out of the trench. In fact, unless 
this is strictly practised it will be impossible to properly under¬ 
mine the tree so as to admit of its being placed on a board or 
a flat hand-barrow, with which it is necessary to carry the 
great weight sometimes secured. If left to themselves the 
men are apt to neglect keeping the trench open and then 
roughly drag out the trees. This will not do. Neither should 
a very large ball of earth be taken, or there will be danger 
of large pieces falling off, carrying away many valuable roots 
at the same time. A moderate-sized ball made flat underneath 
and all unoccupied surface soil pricked off prior to the trees’ 
removal will be found the best plan. The soil should be moist 
when used, and kept in that state afterwards. 
Peaches and Nectarines are so accommodating in disposition 
that young trees can be readily prepared for the forcing houses 
either in the open air, or, better still, in a late house. To plant 
a tree newly received from a nursery direct into a forcing 
house is, as a rule, a mistake, being both injurious to the tree 
and wasteful of house space. I prefer to have the young trees 
in a bearing state and under my own care prior to planting in 
early or second-early houses, as this admits of fruiting the old 
trees to the last, and the young trees being moved in full leaf 
can then be safely forced and fruited at once. After planting 
a tree with foliage intact the house may be kept somewhat 
close for a week without injuring the older occupants, and by 
carefully shading and syringing the tree operated on, it soon 
recovers. 
In the case of the “ yellows " it is not necessary to completely 
lift the trees to restore them, but a trench should be cut as if for 
removing, and the old soil being picked away from the roots to 
within 3 feet of the stem of a moderate-sized tree, which covers, 
say, a space 12 feet by 8 feet. If new soil is scarce much of 
the old surface soil may be disposed at the bottom of the hole 
made, allowing a depth of 18 inches for the fresh compost, the 
latter, if possible, to consist of turfy loam, or, failing this, the 
best clayey loam procurable, adding to every four barrowloads 
one of short stable manure, half a barrowful of old mortar 
rubbish, not throwing out the small brick ends, wood ashes to 
be dusted about the roots as they are being cohered. Charred 
refuse may with advantage be mixed with some soil, but it 
must always be remembered that neither Peach, Nectarine, nor 
any other fruit trees should be planted in a very Icose com¬ 
post. Firmness should always be insured from the bottom to 
the top of the border. 
After the roots are trimmed always dispose them in a flat or 
horizontal position exactly as they start from the stems, the 
bottom tier to be covered with moderately fine compost ; the 
next tier should be disposed on this, and so on till the whole 
are buried, the topmost tier being brought to within about 
2 inches of the surface. In this manner the roots are evenly 
disposed throughout the fertile soil, and will form rootlets 
more readily than if matted together as they sometimes are 
when the soil is thrown in promiscuously. If properly attended 
to in watering and syringings the trees will be able during the 
following season to perfect heavj' crops of superior fruit, and 
will also form growth of the best possible quality. Those in 
charge of them will never regret having taken some trouble 
with the trees, and will probably take every precaution to keep 
the roots nearer the surface in the future than they have been 
in the past. 
Trees on the open walls would continue fruitful much longer 
if treated similarly, as the growth formed under more favour¬ 
able conditions is healthier and ripens more certainly, and is 
consequently less liable to injury by severe frosts. There is 
no doubt the uncertainty attending open-air culture of Peaches 
lias led many to wisely provide houses for them, but I still 
think it possible to grow good crops on the open walls over a 
wide district of the country, provided there is sufficient labour 
for keeping the trees healthy by lifting them as frequently as 
may be needed, and the essentials are provided for protecting 
them in spring. The Peach crop on the open walls at Frog- 
more I believe seldom fails. 
In concluding these notes I wish to point out emphatically 
that Peach and Nectarine trees cannot be lifted too soon 
after the crops are gathered, as then, if the foliage is kept 
fresh by shading and syringing, the trees become established 
before winter, and will bear freely the following season.—• 
W. Iggulden. 
MUSHROOMS FOR THE MILLION. 
f Continued from page 0S.) 
INTELLIGENT SUPERVISION. 
This consists chiefly in covering the beds so as to 
maintain a steady and equable temperature, also in 
watering them at the proper time and in the right man¬ 
ner. As previously mentioned, sufficient straw can be 
shaken from the manure on its arrival from the stables 
for the purpose of covering the beds. There can be no 
better material than this—indeed, no other is so good 
for placing in immediate contact with the surface of a 
Mushroom bed. If during unusually severe weather 
clean straw or fern must be used, it should always be 
placed on the other covering, never on the soil under 
it, as it is somewhat strange to observe that when this 
has been done after Mushrooms have commenced grow¬ 
ing considerable injury has resulted to the crop. The 
long litter shaken out from the manure is placed in a 
large heap and heats more or less ; it should, however, 
not be turned, but be allowed to heat itself dry, and it 
will then be in the best possible condition for use. Its 
peculiar nature and smell appear to be precisely suit¬ 
able for Mushrooms; at any rate they are produced 
far more freely under such a covering than under a 
layer of sweet clean straw or hay. A sufficiency of this 
litter should therefore be secured if possible, and it can 
usually be obtained if the manure is collected, long 
and short together, just as comes from the stables. 
There is a danger in gathering the manure that the long 
may be refused, under the impression that it will not 
decay sufficiently for use in the beds. It certainly will 
not decay to that extent, but it is of the greatest service 
nevertheless, for it is important to remember that, how¬ 
ever suitable the decayed portion may be and strong 
the spawn, if the beds are not thickly covered with 
proper material satisfactory crops of Mushrooms can¬ 
not be produced. 
The proper degree of thickness of the covering can 
only be determined by the heat in the beds and the 
weather. If the weather is mild and the bed compara¬ 
tively new a covering of 6 inches of litter will suffice. 
If the bed is old and the temperature of the air remains 
still mild, the covering must be twice that thickness ; 
while during severe and prolonged frost 2 feet or more 
in depth of straw, protected with mats, canvas, or some 
such materia], will be absolutely necessary, and some¬ 
times the beds are covered 3 feet thick. Beginners, 
however, should endeavour to have beds to come in 
bearing in October or April, as Mushrooms grow with 
freedom then, and experience would be gained for ex¬ 
tending the period of gathering when greater care is 
needed. The proper temperature of a bed can be deter¬ 
mined by the hand. If when it is placed on the surface 
under the straw and the slightest possible warmth is 
felt, that will suffice ; or, for the sake of greater accu¬ 
racy, if a thermometer is laid on the soil at night, and 
