1862.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
213 
introduced to his notice. The more one knows 
of varieties of fruits, and the more one studies 
their peculiarities of flavor, the better is he able 
to appreciate their differences. When a man 
finds out that the grapes which he gathers on 
the mountain, and enjoys so well, are considered 
by those who claim to have a cultivated taste 
as next to worthless; and when he sees that 
with the finest of fragrant clusters he can not 
tempt them to taste a single one, no wonder he 
says: “Out upon such delicacy of taste—it is 
whim and nonsense.” Still it is no nonsense. 
The taste, properly cultivated, affords us very re¬ 
fined enjoyment, and this too Avithout the temp¬ 
tation to eat too much. He that eats any thing 
Avith pleasure, Avill be almost sure to gluttonize. 
He that enjoys only the very best fruit, has a 
higher enjoyment, is more benefitted, and seldom 
or never eats fruit to excess. These remarks ap¬ 
ply equally to all kinds of fruit. At this season, 
study particularly currants and raspberries. 
Double Yellow Butter-Cup. 
This is a variety of the common butter-cup, 
(Ranunculus acris,) made 
double by cultivation. 
The cut gives a very good 
idea of the size, and form 
of the flower—which is 
very perfect, and retains 
the brilliant color and 
gloss of the Avild variety. 
It is perfectly hardy, 
growing in any common 
garden soil, and is propa¬ 
gated by dividing the 
roots, either early in the 
Spring, or so soon as it is done flowering in 
Summer. It is well Avorthy a place in the garden. 
Endives, Culture, etc. 
Green salads are, at all seasons of the year, 
very refreshing and healthful articles of food. 
At the very head stands lettuce, particularly 
those kinds Avliich form heads readily: but feAV 
or no kinds will bear the heat of Summer. 
They will not head, acquire a disagreeable bit¬ 
ter taste, and are tough. The delicious salad 
named above comes in to supply the place of 
lettuce during the heats of August, and remains 
in perfection du'ring the Autumn and Winter. 
It may be sowed at any time during the Sum¬ 
mer, up to the first Aveek in August, needing 
good deep rich garden soil, frequently stirred. 
There are several kinds. We prefer the broad- 
leafed variety. Sow in drills, and transplant 12 
to 14 inches apart. As the plants grow they may 
be watered with liquid manure, and if the ground 
is well and frequently hoed, they will grow 
rapidly, spreading out a mass of leaves, lying 
flat on the ground, 12 to 14 inches in diameter. 
If wanted for summer use, when they have at¬ 
tained the size of a dining-plate, the leaves are 
gathered together when dry, and tied with a 
piece of bass-matting or string. After a heavy 
rain,, should one occur by Avliich the inside of 
the plants are wet, they must be unbound 
and opened to dry in the middle of the day, and 
bound up again before the effect of the bleach¬ 
ing is lost. The blanched portions form a very 
pleasant summer and autumn salad. The chief 
excellence of the endive is seen in Winter. 
After frosts have cut down tender things in 
the garden, we pull up the endives, remove any 
decayed leaves, and set them out in the sand- 
beds in the cellar, closely packed together. Very 
soon they begin to grow, and the new growth 
is beautifully blanched, while the tenderer por¬ 
tion of the older groAvth bleaches also. The 
largest and most vigorous plants are earliest fit 
for the table, and others follow in succession. 
We heartily commend the culture of this salad, 
which is so great a favorite upon European ta¬ 
bles. There is always a ready market for the 
bleached plants among our German population. 
Mushroom Culture. 
Mushrooms are greatly esteemed on account 
of their peculiar and delicious flavor. They 
may be stewed, fried in fat, or made into catsup. 
In some countries, Russia and Poland among 
the number, there are said to be above thirty 
kinds in use. They are there gathered at differ¬ 
ent stages of growth, and used raw, boiled, 
stewed, roasted, and even dried for winter use. 
Great care must be exercised in selecting mush¬ 
rooms for eating, as there are poisonous kinds. 
Three Avays are recommended by which to de¬ 
termine whether they are good: 1st, by the col¬ 
or of the gills, that of the good kinds being, 
when young, of a fine pink, or flesh color, 
changing, however, to that of the questionable 
kinds—a chocolate color—at more mature 
growth; 2d, by the smell, the good kinds emit¬ 
ting an agreeable odor, while that of the bad is 
nauseous and disagreeable; and 3d, by sprink¬ 
ling salt upon the inner or spongy part, un¬ 
wholesome kinds turning yellow, and edible 
kinds black. Bad lands are found mostly in 
forests; edible ones in open pastures, most fre¬ 
quently in old horse-pastures, which sometimes, 
in damp, warm seasons, yield large crops. 
Mushrooms may be grown at any season of 
the year, by those Avho have a suitable bed. 
This may be made in any dry cellar, (or under a 
shed,) the temperature of which can be kept at 
from 50° to 60°. Extremes of temperature 
must be avoided. The temperature of the bed 
should be from 70° to 75°. A bin or bottomless 
box about 20 inches deep is suitable for a bed, 
and one four feet wide by eight feet long, if prop¬ 
erly managed, will yield a supply for a good- 
sized family. On the bottom put a thin and 
slightly oval layer of ashes and gravel, or pieces 
of bricks, to avoid dampness. Next put in a 
six-inch layer of unfermented horse-droppings 
from grain and hay-fed horses, (not grass-fed), 
the dryer the better, Avith short straw intermixed. 
When this, being exposed to the air but not to 
rains or dampness, has become quite dry, cover 
Avith two inches of dry earth—sandy, if possi¬ 
ble; into the surface of this introduce small 
pieces of spawn in rows six inches apart. Then 
repeat the layer of horse-droppings, and short 
straw, and of earth, with spawn introduced as 
before. Cover the whole with two or three 
inches of fresh, warm liorse-droppings, and oc¬ 
casionally sprinkle with blood-warm water, to 
induce fermentation, the top layer of fresh ma¬ 
nure to be removed as soon as fermentation has 
caused the spawn to begin to spread. In five or 
six weeks mushrooms may be expected. The 
usual size is from 1& to 3 inches in diameter, but 
those over 4 feet in circumference, and weighing 
12 to 14 pounds have been produced. 
Mushroom spawn is usually to be had in seed 
stores, and also may be found, of uncertain 
qualities, however, in dry lumps of horse dung, 
in old pastures, hot-beds, and manure heaps. It 
has the appearance of dry, Avhite threads. The 
following method of manufacturing sale spawn 
is recommended by Bridgeman: “ A quantity 
of fresh horse droppings mixed with short lit¬ 
ter, should be collected; add to this one-third of 
cow dung, and a small portion of good earth, to 
cement it together; mash the whole into a thin 
compost, like grafting clay; then form it in the 
shape of bricks; which being done, set them on 
edge, and frequently turn them until half dry; 
then with a dibble make one or two holes in 
each brick, and insert in each hole a piece of 
spawn the size of an egg; the bricks should 
then be laid Avhere they can dry gradually. 
When dry, lay dry horse-dung on a level floor, 
six or eight inches thick; on this, pile the bricks, 
the spawn side uppermost. When the pile is 
snugly formed, cover it with a small portion of 
fresh Avarrn horse-dung, sufficient in quantity to 
produce a gentle glow through the Avhole. 
When the spaAvn has spread itself through every 
part of the bricks, the process is ended, and they 
may be laid up in any dry place for use. Mush¬ 
room spawn, made according to this recipe, 
will preserve its vegetating powers for many 
years, if well dried before it is laid up; if 
moist, it Avill grow, and soon exhaust itself.” 
Mushrooms of good quality find a ready sale, 
in New-York, and doubtless in other cities, if 
the discretion of the gatherers or raisers may 
be depended upon; and they would soon be¬ 
come a favorite article of food if they were more 
commonly cultivated for the market. 
Raising Cauliflowers. 
Not the least among flowers is the savory cau¬ 
liflower.. So every epicure will say. So every 
one who enjoys good food will say, and so say 
we. To. grow this vegetable well it is important 
to give it some care. Start the seedlings, as we 
do common cabbages, in a warm rich border. 
For winter and fall use, the plants need not be 
set out before the 10th of July. Prick them out 
once or twice in the border, before giving them 
their final place in the open ground. This will 
make them strong and stocky plants. In choos¬ 
ing a spot for transplanting them, let it not be 
in the shade of trees or fences. The soil should 
be deep and rich. If not so naturally, break it 
up with a long spade, and put a shovel full of 
manure at the bottom of each hole, covering the 
same with two or three ihches of fine earth. 
With a garden trowel, lift the plants and set 
them out in rows three feet apart, and two feet 
and-a-half in the row. If the Aveather be dry, 
shade them for a few days. Keep the ground 
loose by hoeing, but do not earth up the plants 
much, as this often induces rot. 
Unless the ground is naturally moist, it Avill 
be well to cover it in mid-summer with strawy 
manure, or Avitli clean straAV. Once a week, 
pour over this mulch the refuse water of the 
kitchen and chamber. In September and Octo¬ 
ber you will enjoy the results of these labors. 
Garden Culture of Celery, 
This old British salad is a great favorite with 
epicures, but it is less generally cultivated than 
it deserves. Probably it can not be shown to 
contain much real nourishment for man or beast, 
yet it makes a fine relish. The stalks, when 
blanched, may not only be used raw, or for salad, 
but may be stewed or used for seasoning soups. 
In its wild state, it grows in marshy ground and 
by the side of ditches, where it is known as 
smaUage. In that state its taste is rank and 
coarse, but when cultivated and bleached, it be¬ 
comes delicate, sweet and crisp. 
There are many kinds for sale at the seed- 
stores, advertised as Mammoth, Giant, Excel- 
