510 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 2, 1880. 
deeper, and the material be employed in a fresher and rather moister 
condition than early in the season. Rendering the bed thoroughly 
firm is of primary importance in the culture of this esteemed edible ; 
next, the insertion of proper and good spawn when the bed is at a 
temperature of about 75°, a few degrees over rather than under, 
corering with rich turfy loam, and maintaining an equable and suit¬ 
able temperature. Placing straw or hay over the bed after earthing- 
up will do much to secure a favourable condition both as regards 
moisture and temperature, but those materials must be removed as 
soon as the Mushrooms appear ; when, if there be any deficiency of 
moisture, apply sufficient tepid water to render it moist but not 
saturated. Beds in bearing will also need to be kept damp, avoiding 
as much as possible applying water directly over the Mushrooms • 
Houses in which artificial heat is employed will require to have the 
walls and pathways, &c., damped frequently, maintaining the tempe¬ 
rature between 55° and C0°. Slugs must be sought at night and 
destroyed ; woodlice may be trapped by wrapping a boiled Potato 
loosely in a little hay placed in a flower pot laid on its side. Examine 
it every morning, and shake out the pests in a bucket of boiling 
water. 
FRUIT HOUSES. 
Vines.—To obtain ripe Grapes before the end of May forcing must 
now be commenced in earnest. Start with a night temperature of 
50° and 55° in mild weather, but do not exceed this till the buds are 
growing. Syringe the rods two or three times a day, but if a bed of 
leaves and stable litter has been placed on the floor or border of the 
house, and a portion is stirred daily, a moist atmosphere will be main¬ 
tained without frequent syringing. The outside border must have 
the needful protection from cold rain and snow, and heat may be 
afforded by means of litter and leaves, one part of the former to two 
of the latter. Borders that have been covered with straw or bracken 
and protected from wet will not need any other aid. The inside 
border should be made thoroughly moist with water at 80° to 00°. 
Allow the temperature to advance to G5° from sun heat, above which 
ventilate freely. Yines in pots that were started some time ago 
should have the temperature gradually increased to 00° at night 
when they are in leaf, 65° in the day artificially, and 70° to 75° from 
sun heat, admitting a little air at 70°, and if the temperature rise to 
80° after closing it will lessen the necessity for fire heat. Yines in 
midseason houses should ere this have been pruned and at rest. The 
houses may be full of plants, which will not do any harm provided 
they are not kept warm. Whilst Yines are at rest it is only necessary 
to exclude frost. 
Figs .—The fermenting materials for the trees in pots must be 
watched to see that the heat does not exceed 75°, and before intro¬ 
ducing fresh material to keep up the required level it should be 
thrown into a heap and turned over once or twice. Allow the trees 
to advance steadily in a moist genial atmosphere, not exceeding 50° at 
night or 55° on mild nights, with 10° to 15° rise by day. When the 
leaves are showing the night temperature should gradually be raised to 
55° or G0°, 65° by day artificially, and 70° to 75° from sun heat. A little 
ventilation should be given at the top of the house, from G5°. Syringe 
the trees two or three times a day, and if the weather be very cold 
and necessitating good fires moisture must be provided at night by 
damping the paths at about 8 P.M. There should not be any de¬ 
ficiency of moisture at the roots, and the water supplied must not be 
lower in temperature than that of the bed. Push forward the cleaning 
and dressing the trees in later houses. Trees at rest must not be 
allowed to become dust dry at the roots, but should have water as 
needed to keep the soil moderately moist. 
Cucumbers. —Snow, sharp frosts, cold and keen winds have charac¬ 
terised the weather for some time, rendering the progress of Cucum¬ 
bers very slow. A suitable and even temperature is of first im¬ 
portance towards success, especially at night, which is not always 
attainable without increasing the fires and producing an excessively 
dry atmosphere. Much may be done to prevent this by covering the 
houses with mats at night. A temperature of G0° to 65° at night is 
suitable, and 70° to 75° by day. Be moderate in the application of 
moisture at this season ; damping available surfaces morning and after¬ 
noon will usually be sufficient. Water must be copiously supplied 
when necessary. Avoid overcrowding and overcropping, encourag¬ 
ing the roots with fresh compost as they protrude through the sides of 
the hillocks. Make the compost moderately firm, and give weak 
liquid manure occasionally. Continue removing old foliage and 
exhausted growths, but do not stop very closely for the next two 
months. Beruove all tendrils and male blossoms from the winter- 
fruiting plants, and encourage the swelling of the fruit. 
FLANT HOUSES. 
Orchids .—Dendrobium moniliforme, D. nobile, D. Ainsworthi, and 
D. Dominianum that have completed their growth early, if now placed 
near the glass in the East Indian house, will flower very usefully; 
but they must not be kept too moist, or they will start into growth. 
Where it is necessary to retard the flowering of Dendrobiums until 
May they should be placed in a greenhouse temperature and receive 
very little water, if indeed any; but the pseudobulbs must not be 
allowed to shrivel. Pleiones now flowering should be attended to in 
potting as soon as they cease flowering. They succeed best in shallow 
pans near to the glass in the Cattleya house. Peat and sphagnum, 
with a little leaf soil added, is a suitable material. For top-dressing 
employ peat and sphagnum. They will not thrive in a sour badly 
drained compost, therefore drain efficiently. Cattleyas and Laelias, 
though rooting freely, will require very little water at the roots, and 
the peat in -which they are growing should be such that will permit 
the water to pass away freely. The sphagnum and the roots grow¬ 
ing outside the pots and baskets of such plants as Aerides, Phalse- 
nopsises, Saccolabiums, and Yandas will require frequent dampings, 
attention being given to the atmosphere by pouring water on the 
benches and paths every morning. Yery little air will be requisite 
now, and it must be given below the plants, so as to have its harsh¬ 
ness taken off before reaching them. Cypripediums and Cymbidiums 
require a good supply of water at the roots. Odontoglossums should 
never be allowed to become dry. They delight in a cool damp atmo¬ 
sphere, and should have a light syringing overhead on fine mornings ; 
but be careful to avoid drip upon the young shoots, not only of these 
but all Orchids. The glass should be kept thoroughly clean, also the 
woodwork. The temperature of the East Indian house must be kept 
at 65° by day and GO® at night, or a little lower ; Mexican house, G0° 
by day and 50° by night; the cool house being kept at 50° by day 
and 40° to 45° at night, allowing in each case a few degrees advance 
from sun heat. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
The Lawson Seed & Nursery Company (Limited), Edinburgh and 
London .—Catalogue of Trees and Shrubs. 
Mackenzie & Moncur, Upper Grove Place, Edinburgh and Glasgow. 
—Illustrated Catalogue of Horticultural Buildings and Heating 
Apparatus. 
H. & F. Sharpe, Wisbech .—List of Seed Potatoes. 
o ( 
'imumminmrrm. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS 
*** All correspondence should be directed either to “ The Editors ” 
or to “ The Publisher.” Letters addressed to Mr. Johnson or 
Dr. Hogg often remain unopened unavoidably. We request that 
no one will write privately to any of our correspondents, as doing 
so subjects them to unjustifiable trouble and expense. 
Correspondence. —Several valuable communications which have been 
obligingly sent us for all the departments of this Journal cannot be inserted 
this week, and replies to various correspondents whose letters arrived on the 
eve of our going to press will appear in our next issue. 
“ Growing Boses Out of Doors” (Amateur ).—The book to which you 
refer as bearing the above title was written by the Rev. O. Fisher, and is pub- 
liehed by Messrs. Bradbury, Agnew & Co., Bouverie Street, London. 
Insects on Pelargoniums (IF. Begbie ).—We can discover no traces of 
any insect except aphides on the leaves you sent, and even those are dead, the 
“ white flies ” you mention appearing to be simply the dried remains of the 
aphides. 
Dark Climbing Rose for Greenhouse (L. IF.).— Duchess of Edin¬ 
burgh (Yeitch), crimson, is the darkest in colour of Tea Roses, but it is not a 
climber. Cheshunt Hybrid has beautiful finely shaped flowers, though not 
deeper in colour than cherry carmine. The plant is of vigorous growth, and 
would form a fitting companion for Mardchal Niel. Those with Inuocente Pirola 
are the three best for training to the roof in greenhouses. 
