814 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
I October 16, 1890. 
the food value of this fungus. First of all the nitrogen present does not 
all exist in the form of albuminoids. The coagulable albuminoids, as 
estimated by the phenol method, amount to 5‘4 per cent. ; the remainder 
of the nitrogen occurring chiefly as amides, is not nutritive. If this 
result be accepted, the proportion of albuminoids to digestible carbohy¬ 
drates plus the starch—equivalent of the fat, becomes 1 : 13'7 instead 
of 1 :10 9, as shown by the percentages recorded above. Anyhow, this 
fungus is singularly poor in albuminoid or muscle-forming substances, and 
differs remarkably in this particular from the numerous edible fungi 
of which analyses have been previously made. In these analyses we 
find at least twice or thrice as much albuminoid matters, often more. 
The substance or group of substances which I have called “digestible 
carbohydrates,” contains neither starch, nor inulin, nor cellulose. Its 
chief constituent is a gum-like body apparently allied to bassorin, and 
well worthy of further examination. It swells up greatly in water and 
is soluble in dilute warm solutions of caustic alkalies. Its solutions 
gelatinise on cooling. I have observed what seems to be the same 
compound in other species of fungi, and it is probable that it has been 
described under several different names. The fungus now been dis¬ 
cussed contains so large a proportion of this body that it presents a very 
convenient material for its isolation and the study of its composition and 
properties. 
The ash of this fungus is rich in potash and phosphoric acid. Of the 
former constituent the ash contains no less than 42 02 per cent. ; of the 
latter 20-02. These proportions are exceeded in the ash of other species; 
moreover, the ash in one hundred parts of this Hirneola is much lower 
than that recorded for other fungi.— A. H. Church (in Kew Bulletin 
for October, 1S90 ). 
ASPHALT WALKS. 
Your correspondent “C. O. S.” (page 306) has described a cheap and 
simple method of making asphalt walks. I think there is nothing to 
equal them for kitchen gardens. They are clean and fit to walk upon in 
all weathers ; no weeding nor weed-killer required. We have been laying 
down a little annually for several years, as materials accumulate and 
our limited assistance would allow. The following is our mode of pro¬ 
cedure. The ashes from the house are put through a half-inch sieve, 
and during the autumn and winter are stored in an open shed. The 
cinders are taken to the stokehole, with the result that the output of 
clinkers is largely increased. These, together with broken bottles, 
brickends, broken tiles or slates, in fact anything hard and of no other 
use, are put together in a mass, and as opportunity occurs are broken 
up rather small. 
About the middle of April an old door is fixed on four posts driven 
into the ground, about 2 feet high, in the shed near the mass of dry ashes. 
When a wet day occurs from now till the middle of May the ashes are 
mixed on this door in the usual way with the tar as it comes from the 
gasworks, which costs about I4d. per gallon. It is tossed into a conical 
mass, and if left, as it often is for days or weeks, is covered with 
old mats or sailcloth to keep the outside from drying too much. Addi¬ 
tions are made to the heap from time to time till all is mixed. As the 
time for putting it down draws on the old gravel walks are simply 
roughed up a little with a pick, the clinkers—previously broken—laid 
on evenly, and rolled down to give an even surface to receive the ashes. 
The latter if it has laid in the mass for some time is apt to heat, and to 
a certain extent loses its moisture, and in this case it should be pulled 
out and some more tar poured on the top and turned once or twice, so 
as to get it all of one consistency. It is then laid on the walks in the 
way described by your correspondent, and similarly treated. I think it 
best to get a clean even surface by well rolling before applying any¬ 
thing to the surface, using a little water on the roller to keep the tar 
from sticking to it. We then give a liberal sprinkling of “ Pea ” brack, 
first passing a dry roller over it several times, afterwards using water on 
the roller to still further work the brack into the surface. This, I think, 
is still simpler and cheaper than “ C. O. S.’s ” plan, and we find that 
with simply the ashes from the house and tar a very good walk is 
made at the least possible expense, and mixing it on wet days during 
several weeks is a saving of time without disadvantage to the material.— 
R. I. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
PEACHES and Nectarines. — Earliest Forced House.— The trees 
are at rest and promise well, the buds not being too large. That is a 
good sign, as Peaches and Nectarines subjected to forcing year after 
year are liable to have the buds swelled to a large size, and these not 
unfrequently fall when they should be starting into growth. Some 
kinds are more prone to this defect than others. Noblesse stands at the 
head in liability to cast its buds, then comes Grosse Mignonne, and both 
these have a marked tendency to form double or triple fruit buds 
without a wood bud at the same joint, also to form buds with two or 
three pistils in embryo, in due course developing into twin or triplet 
fruit. This is what is meant by over-maturity of the buds, and is 
common to all the large flowered varieties of Peach and Nectarine, which 
probably arises from a prolonged season of growth, with a decided 
tendency to over-production. The remedy, therefore, is to keep the 
trees as cool as possible after the fruit is gathered consistent with their 
safety, and remove the roof lights when the wood becomes sufficiently 
firm. Where this has been done the borders have got thoroughly 
moistened to the drainage, and when that is the case, and the buds are 
not over-matured, there is no fear of their falling. The trees should be 
pruned, dressed with an insecticide, and the whole of the house 
thoroughly cleansed. The trees also should be tied to the trellis, every¬ 
thing forwarded so that a start can be made without delay when the 
proper time arrives. The lights should remain off until the time of 
closing the house, or if the lights are fixed, which is a great mistake, as 
it causes the house to be subject to alternating fluctuations and depres¬ 
sions both of heat and moisture ; the border inside must not lack 
moisture, and air must be given to the fullest possible extent. No 
amount of frost will injure properly matured wood, and the buds are 
never damaged by frost until they commence swelling. 
Second Farly House. —The trees have for the most part cast their 
foliage ; the roof lights will have been off some time, or if kept over the 
trees longer than usual, as sometimes is necessary when the wood is 
strong to mature it properly, they must now be removed. The ventilat¬ 
ing lights both top and bottom may remain, so that the unfixing and 
refixing of them is obviated, whilst the trees have complete exposure to 
atmospheric influences. The exposure has an invigorating tendency, 
it insures perfect rest, and the rains do much to free the trees of insects, 
besides soaking the borders. When the foliage is all down the necessary 
pruning, dressing with an insecticide, and cleansing the house should be 
proceeded with, removing the surface soil down to the roots, and 
supplying fresh material, but not covering the roots deeper than 2 or 
3 inches. In the case of fixed roof lights watering may be necessary. 
Under no circumstances must the trees be allowed to become dry at 
the roots. 
Midseason Houses. —The trees in these are just in the proper con¬ 
dition for lifting. It should be done with dispatch, all the materials 
being in readiness. Provide efficient drainage, shortening back any 
strong roots, and bringing any that are deep nearer the surface, employ¬ 
ing the compost moderately firm. Good loam, rather strong, with an 
admixture of a sixth of old mortar rubbish, and a bushel each of bone 
meal and charcoal dust to every cartload of loam, will grow Peaches and 
Nectarines perfectly. If the soil be light add a fourth of clayey marl, 
and if very strong a similar quantity of road scrapings ; avoid manure, 
except at the surface ; give a good watering, and the trees will soon get 
established in the fresh compost. Trees judiciously treated at the roots 
whilst they have foliage seldom fail to set and stone the fruit satis¬ 
factorily. Borders that have the soil a soapy mass, and it is not possible 
to remove it, may have a good dressing of quicklime (an inch thick is 
not too much), mixing it with the surface soil as deeply as the roots 
allow without much disturbance. Nothing, however, is so effectual as 
lifting and renovating the border. 
Latest Houses. —Except from the latest varieties the fruit is all 
gathered. Trees from which it has been gathered should have the 
bearing wood of the current year cut out, leaving no more wood of the 
current year’s production than is required for filling vacant space and 
affording fruit next year. The foliage should be thoroughly cleansed of 
dust or insect pests by a few good washings from the syringe or garden 
engine. After that the trees will not require syringing, dryness with 
thorough exposure of the wood to light and air being essential to the 
perfecting of the wood and buds. Where this is not effected the house 
may be kept rather close by day, so as to secure a good heat, there being 
of course enough to ensure a free circulation of air, and the house should 
be fully ventilated at night. Any trees that have too gross wood should 
have a trench taken out as deep as the roots, and about one-third the 
distance from the stem the trees cover of trellis, leaving it open a 
fortnight, then filling again firmly. 
Cucumbers. —Place out the latest plants which are to afford a 
supply of fruit about the new year on ridges or hillocks, training with a 
single stem to the trellis, up which they may be allowed to advance 
about two-thirds, when the lead may be pinched. Those not having the 
convenience of a Cucumber house may secure fair supplies of winter 
fruit by growing the plants in pots or boxes, training the plants near 
the glass over pathways in stoves, fruiting Pine houses, or other heated 
structures. Plants in bearing should not be overcropped, or the fruit 
allowed to remain longer than it is fit to cut, removing all deformed 
fruit in a young state. Maintain a night temperature of 70°, 5° less in 
the morning, 75° by day, up to 85° with sun, admitting a little air at the 
top of the house at every favourable opportunity. The evaporation 
troughs should be charged with liquid manure, and the floor damped 
about 8 A.M. and 4 P.M., dispensing with the syringe. Reduce the supply 
of water at the roots, but not so much as to cause flagging. A few 
horse droppings sprinxled on the beds occasionally will benefit the 
plants through the waterings and the ammonia given off. Keep the 
foliage thin and the glass clean, so as to secure thoroughly solidified 
growth. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Earthing up Celery.— Some gardeners earth their Celery as fast 
as it grows. Others do not earth it until it is of full size, or nearly so. 
The former is the better way with Celery that is required for immediate 
use ; the latter the more suitable for Celery that has to be kept for a 
long time, as when it is not earthed until full sized the stems are much 
harder than when they are covered and blanched from the first. It is 
now, however, time that all Celery should be earthed. If severe weather 
