August 21, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
171 
few in number. If you like to state the distance from each other the 
crowns were planted, we shall be glad, if you wish, to refer to the 
subject again. 
Mushrooms In Frames (j E. G. ID). —You state the depth of the 
frames, but not the depth of the beds in them. If, however, they are 
over a foot thick, firm, and made of good material in a properly moist 
state they ought to grow good crops of Mushrooms. In bright weather 
they will be too hot, and the sashe3 should be covered with two or three 
thicknesses of mats, or with 6 inches of hay or straw. In this case the 
covering on the beds need only be an inch or two thick, and kept damp, 
though not very wet, for preventing the evaporation of moisture. 
Plunge a thermometer 2 or 3 inches deep in the bed, and so long as it 
registers over 100° prop up the sashes at the back. When the tempera¬ 
ture falls below 90° insert the spawn, and a day or two afterwards, 
provided the heat does not rise, spread on some good soil moist enough 
for compression, and beat it down to an inch in thickness if heavy, 
nearer 2 inches if of a sandy nature ; but Mushrooms do not like poor 
light soil, and the escape of moisture from the soil must be prevented 
by damp litter coverings. Your question respecting moss litter does not 
permit of a categorical reply. The best manure from horse stables 
cannot be excelled, but the moss litter after use in stables, not too wet. 
also with a sixth part of loam added, is better than inferior stable 
manure, which contains much straw. Some persons succeed in growing 
excellent crops of Mushrooms with the moss bedding, others fail. It is 
a question of judgment in its preparation for the purpose in question. 
It is never a “ trouble ” to us to answer questions when we can answer 
them usefully, and we trust this reply will be serviceable to you and 
other readers at this the proper time for making Mushroom beds for 
bearing in the autumn and early winter. 
Writing- Well (Z> is appointed). —You say you “ want to write -well 
but cannot,” and wish for helpful hints. We suspect that the main 
cause of your disappointment is due to lethargy or natural despon¬ 
dency. You do not do the best you can often enough—or, in other 
words, you do not persevere. Persons who take up the pen intermit¬ 
tently, dash off a letter to the press, and find “ a good deal of it not 
printed,” then complain, never become good writers, because they have 
not clear perceptions of literary merit. What you call a “ good deal ” 
taken out, editors, you may depend, call by another name—“ bad ” deal. 
It is their duty and interest to retain what is good and eliminate what 
for various reasons they deem unsuitable. Ill-formed expressions, covert 
allusions, inflated language on the one hand, or the use of “ slang ” 
terms on the other, are either modified or rejected. A man such as 
yourself, who is able to write a short letter correctly and well can, it he 
tries, write a longer ; but the longer it is the greater the necessity for 
care in avoiding the repetition of terms ; also of guarding against the 
habit that seems so easy to acquire of expressing the same idea over and 
over again in different words. Writing is not so much a “ gift ” as an 
acquired art. It is true that some persons have a greater aptitude for it 
than have others, but all the same those who have become the most ac¬ 
complished have striven the hardest to excel. No labour has been too 
great to be feared, and some of the most eminent of authors have 
written chapters several times over before they were satisfied with their 
work. Here is what one of them confessed not long ago :—“ I was a 
thorough bad lot at school—bright, I think, and quick, but with no per¬ 
severance whatever ; no patience, no application. And certainly now I 
have all those qualities in an extraordinary degree. I don’t know what 
changed me. I had an immense ambition to be a writer ; and when my 
father died in ’77, leaving nothing—well, it was that or something less 
palatable. After that I went in for writing, to the exclusion of every¬ 
thing else. I was not well educated, but had always been, from a little 
child, a voracious reader, and determined to get on. After I had been 
writing awhile I awoke to the folly of letting myself drift into a first- 
person, present-tense style, which I thoroughly despised, and a lecture of 
Mr. Ruskin’s to art students put me on the right track. After that, how 
I worked ! I have many a time written a story eight or nine times over 
before I satisfied myself with it. I used to take a novel of W. Collins 
and pick the sentences to pieces, note the crisp, concise style of them, 
and get them into my head, so to speak. Then I would go at my own 
work, never using a long word when I could find a short one to answer 
the same purpose ; never using a Latin word when I could find a Saxon 
to express the same meaning; never using two adjectives where one 
would do, or one at all when it could be avoided ; never using a French 
word unless it was impossible to find the Saxon meaning in English, and 
never quoting bits of poetry unless really necessary.” From the experi¬ 
ence thus embodied you may derive encouragement; and if you are 
equal in discrimination and perseverance with the authoress in question 
and proceed on the lines indicated, you may hope for a fair measure of 
success. It may not, and probably will not, very closely approach that 
attained by this “ bad lot at school ” and “ not educated ” girl, because 
she now earns at the least £1800 a year by her pen. If you earn haif 
that, after long striving, you will, perhaps, no longer be what you now 
describe yourself—“ disappointed.” 
Names of Plants.—We only undertake to name species of plants, 
not varieties that have originated from seed and termed florists’ flowers. 
Flowering specimens are necessary of flowering plants, and Fern fronds 
should bear spores. Specimens should arrive in a fresh state in firm boxes. 
Slightly damp moss, soft green grass or leaves form the best packing, dry 
wool the worst. Not more than six specimens should be named at once, 
and the numbers should be visible without untying the ligatures, 
it being often difficult to separate them when the paper is damp. 
(IF E. B ).—Rosa microphylla rubra, a variety of microphylla, which 
species is a native of the Himalayas and of China. The shrub is Rhus 
cotinus, and is commonly known as the Smoke Tree, from its peculiar 
floral appendages. 
COYENT GARDEN MARKET. —August 20th. 
Market dull, with good supplies of indoor fruit; outdoor fruit coming short. 
FRUIT. 
Apples, ) sieve. 
0. 
d. 
0. 
d. 
0. 
a. 
0. 
a. 
3 
6 
to C 
0 
Grapes, per lb. 
0 
9 
to 3 
0 
„ Nova Scotia and 
Lemons, case. 
10 
0 
15 
0 
Canada, per barrel 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Melons, each . 
1 
0 
2 
0 
„ Tasmanian, p. case 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Oranges, per 100 .. .. 
4 
0 
9 
0 
Cherries, per £ sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Peaches, dozen. 
1 
0 
8 
0 
Currants, Black J sieve 
7 
0 
8 
6 
St. Michael Pines, each.. 
o 
0 
6 
0 
„ Red, £ sieve .. 
4 
6 
0 
0 
Strawberries, per lb. 
0 
2 
0 
6 
VEGETABLES. 
0. 
d. 
0. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
0. 
& 
Artichokes, dozen ,. .. 
Asparagus, bundle .. 
0 
0 
to 0 
0 
Mushrooms, punnet 
1 
6 
to 2 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Mustard & Cress, punnet 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Beans, Kidney, per lb. .. 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Onions, bushel. 
3 
0 
4 
0 
Beet, Red, dozen .. .. 
Brussels Sprouts, J sieve 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Parsley, dozen bunches 
2 
0 
3 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Parsnips, dozen .. .. 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Cabbage, dozen .. .. 
1 
6 
0 
0 
Potatoes, per cwt. 
3 
0 
4 
0 
Carrots, bunch .. .. 
0 
4 
0 
0 
„ New, per lb. .. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Cauliflowers, dozen.. .. 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Rhubarb, bundle .. .. 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Celery, bundle. 
1 
0 
1 
3 
Salsafy, bundle .. .. 
1 
0 
1 
6 
Coleworts, doz. bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Scorzonera, bundle .. .. 
1 
6 
0 
0 
Cucumbers, doz. 
2 
0 
3 
6 
Seakale, per bkt. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Endive, dozen. 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Shallots, per lb. 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Herbs, bunch. 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Spinach, bushel .. .. 
1 
0 
a 
0 
Leeks, bunch. 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Tomatoes, per lb. 
0 
3 
0 
& 
Lettuce, dozen. 
0 
9 
1 
s 
Turnips, bunch .. .. 
0 
4 
0 
0 
CUT 
FLOWERS. 
0. 
d. 
0. 
d. 
0. 
a. 
0. 
a. 
Arum Lilies, 12 blooms .. 
2 
0 to 4 
0 
Maidenhair Fern, dozen 
Asters, per bunch, French 
0 
9 
1 
0 
bunches . 
4 
0 
to 9 
0 
„ English, 12 bnchs. 
3 
0 
6 
0 
Mignonette, 12 bunches.. 
1 
0 
3 
0 
Bouvardias, bunch 
0 
6 
1 
0 
., Fr.,large bnch 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Carnations, 12 bunches .. 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Pansies, dozen bunches .. 
Pelargoniums, 12 trusses 
1 
0 
2 
0 
„ 12 blooms .. 
1 
0 
2 
0 
0 
9 
1 
0 
Calceolaria, doz. bunches 
4 
0 
6 
0 
„ scarlet, 12 bnchs 
Pinks (various), doz. bchs. 
3 
0 
6 
0 
Cornflower, doz. bunches 
1 
6 
3 
0 
3 
0 
6 
0 
Dahlias, dozen bunches.. 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Primula(double)12 sprays 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Eschscholtzia, 12 bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Ranunculus, doz. bunches 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Eucharis, dozen .. .. 
3 
0 
4 
0 
Roses (indoor), dozen .. 
0 
6 
1 
6 
Forget-me-not, doz. bnch. 
1 
6 
4 
0 
„ Moss (Eng.), 12 bch. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Gardenias, 12 blooms .. 
2 
0 
4 
0 
,, Red (Eng.), 12 bch. 
2 
0 
6 
0 
Iris, various, dozen bnchs. 
Lapageria, 12 blooms 
0 
0 
0 
0 
,, Red, 12 blooms .. 
1 
0 
2 
0 
2 
0 
4 
0 
„ Tea, white, dozen.. 
0 
6 
2 
0 
Gladiolus, 12 bunches .. 
4 
0 
9 
0 
„ Yellow. 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Gypsophila, per bunch, Fr. 
1 
0 
1 
6 
Stocks, dozen bunches .. 
3 
0 
6 
0 
Lilium, various, 12 blms. 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Sweet Peas, 12 bunches 
1 
6 
3 
0 
„ longiflorum,12 blms. 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Tuberoses, 12 blooms .. 
0 
3 
0 
9 
Marguerites, 12 bunches 
2 
0 
6 
0 
PLANTS 
IN POTS. 
0. 
d. 
0. 
d. 
0. 
a. 
0. 
a. 
Aralia Sieboldi, dozen .. 
Arbor Vitae (golden) doz. 
6 
0 to 12 
0 
Geraniums Scarlet, p. doz. 
3 
0to 6 
0 
6 
0 
8 
0 
Heliotrope, per doz. 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Asters, dozen pots .. .. 
3 
0 
6 
0 
Hydrangea, doz. pots .. 
9 
0 
18 
0 
Calceolaria, per doz. 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Lilium lancifolium, doz. 
9 
0 
18 
0 
Climbing Plants, various, 
„ longiflorum, doz. 12 
0 
24 
0 
dozen pots. 
4 
0 
9 
0 
Lily of the Valley, 12 pots 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Crassula, per dozen 
Cyclamen, per dozen 
9 
0 
12 
0 
Lobelia, per doz. 
s 
0 
4 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Marguerite Daisy, dozen 
6 
0 
12 
0 
Deutzia, 12 pots .. .. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Mignonette, per dozen .. 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Dracaena terminalis, doz. 
24 
0 
42 
0 
Musk, per dozen .. .. 
Myrtles, dozen. 
2 
0 
4 
a 
„ viridis, dozen .. 
12 
0 
24 
0 
6 
0 
12 
0 
Epiphyllum, per dozen .. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Nasturtiums, dozen pots 
3 
0 
4 
0 
Erica, Cavendishi, per pt. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Palms, in var., each.. .. 
Pelargoniums, per doz. .. 
2 
6 
£1 
0 
„ various, dozen 
12 
0 
18 
0 
6 
0 
12 
0 
Euonymus, var., dozen .. 
6 
0 
18 
0 
Rhodanthe, per dozen .. 
4 
0 
8 
0 
Evergreens, in var., dozen 
6 
0 
24 
0 
Saxifraga pyramidalis, 
Ferns, in variety, dozen.. 
4 
0 
18 
0 
per dozen . 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Ficus elastica, each.. .. 
1 
6 
7 
0 
Spiraea, 12 pots. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Foliage plants, var., each 
2 
0 
10 
0 
Stocks, per doz. .. . > 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Fuchsia, per doz. 
4 
0 
9 
0 
Tropseolums, various, per 
Geraniums, Ivy, per doz. 
3 
0 
6 
0 
dozen . 
3 
0 
6 
0 
HARVEST TIME. 
Busy harvest time is again upon us, and we began reaping 
corn under a sunny sky with the barometer steady and tolerably 
high, but it had not reached “ Set Fair,” nor has it done so once 
this summer. The faint promise of more settled weather has not 
held good. Twice has the mercury fallen below “ Change,” and we 
are writing this article during an exceptionally severe thunder¬ 
storm, accompanied by such a heavy downpour of rain as will make 
