Septemb r 21, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
277 
^vhen it may be filled again and made firm. This will cause the wood 
to harden, and the sap will be concentrated on the buds and help to 
plump them. Young trees only will require this ; but older trees that 
have the wood very strong should be root-pruned, and have the roots 
wholly or partially lifted before the leaves have all fallen. In the case 
of weakly trees remove the old soil from over and amongst the roots, 
supplying fresh, rather strong calcareous loam, making it firm, following 
with a good soaking of liquid manure. 
Trees Ripening the Fruit in August and Early Septeinber .—Cut out 
the wood that has borne fruit, leaving no more successional shoots than 
are necessary for next year’s crop and that can be fully exposed to light. 
Cleanse the foliage of dust and red spider by water directed with force 
from a garden engine or syringe, and repeat occasionally. If there is 
scale promptly apply an insecticide, petroleum emulsion being one of 
the most effective, also against red spider, a soapy solution destroying it, 
and for brown aphis use tobacco powder or juice. There must not be any 
lack of moisture at the roots, therefore apply water to the inside borders 
as necessary to keep them from becoming too dry. Afford abundant 
ventilation, and if the wood is not ripening well keep the house rather 
warm by day, and throw the ventilators open at night, but a warm, 
close, moist atmosphere must be avoided, as that would be injurious 
than otherwise. 
Rate Trees .—As the fiuit is cleared from the trees the shoots that 
have borne fruit should be cut to a successional one at the base, and 
where the growths are too crowded they must be thinned. This with 
free ventilation and gentle fire heat in cold localities during dull weather, 
and with the growth strong will assist in ripening the wood. This is of 
primary importance as regards next year’s crop. The trees must not 
lack moisture, and yet a drier condition is advisable whilst the fruit is 
ripening. Some s fft netting suspended beneath the trees will be useful 
to save any fallen fruit, but it must be looped up in small pockets to 
prevent the fruit bruising each other. With an examination of the 
fruit in the morning and late afternoon there is no necessity for the netting. 
The fruit is better gathered before becoming dead ripe, yet not before it 
parts readily from the branch, and kept in a cool, light, airy fruit room 
until required. 
Melons. —While the fruits are swelling water must be supplied* 
keeping the soil healthfully moist, and feeding with tepid liquid manure. 
A moderate moisture also must be maintained by damping in the 
morning and in the afternoon, and at closing time a light syringing 
of the foliage may be practised if the weather be bright. Remove all 
superfluous growths as they appear, and admit air early or at 75°, 
keeping the bottom heat steady at about 80°. Maintain a night tempera¬ 
ture of 65° to 70°, 70° to 75° by day, and 80° to 90° with sun heat, closing 
sufficiently early to increase to 95° or more. 
A little fire heat so as to insure a circulation of air constantly and 
prevent the deposition of moisture on the fruit, and no more water at 
the roots than is necessary to prevent flagging, will accelerate the 
ripening and do much to improve the flavour. In manure-heated pits 
and frames no water will be required where the soil has been kept 
properly moist during the swelling of the fruit, but keep the sides well 
lined, and leave a little air on at the back at night. The fruit should 
be raised well above the surface of the bed. Any fruit wished to be 
kept for a time should be cut with a portion of stem when it gives 
indications of ripening, placing in a dry airy room ; if wanted ripe place 
in a warm house in the full sun, where it will ripen better than in cool 
frames. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Open-air Musbroom Beds. —This has been a rather trying season 
for early formed Mushroom beds, and unless there is sufficient moisture 
in the manure to insure its steady decay there is no heat to promote the 
rapid spread of the spawn or to hasten the growth of Mushrooms. Any 
beds spawned early in August ought now to be examined. If there are 
no signs of Mushrooms, the manure also being found very dry below the 
surface, then the attempt should be made to moisten it by either ex¬ 
posing to a soaking rain or else form holes all over the bed, and then 
give two or three waterings with a rose on the pot, using tepid water. 
This must not be overdone, though judging from the present state of 
the beds there is little likelihood of saturation taking place. After the 
beds have been moistened cover heavily with strawy litter. Those found 
to be in a fairly moist state when first examined need not be watered. 
Mushrooms ought to be forthcoming in from five weeks to six weeks 
after spawning. 
Successional Beds. —Someof the most profitable beds are those that 
are formed and spawned during the month of September. Open air 
beds must be ridge-shaped, but may be of any length, or, say, from 
6 feet upwards. The site should be well drained, somewhat sheltered, 
and if it can be managed the beds ought to be formed where neither 
moles nor large field mice are likely to get at them. Horse droppings 
without a portion of straw, to the extent, say, of one-third of the bulk, 
are unsuitable for ridge-shaped beds. The heap must be well prepared or 
it will heat very violently, or so much so as to quite spoil the bed after it 
is put together. About a fortnight should be taken up in preparing the 
manure, the heap being turned inside out every second or at the 
most third day, and watered whenever found dry. Dry manure is 
worthless for making into Mushroom beds, and the watering will 
in many cases be necessary according as the materials are finally 
put together. Properly prepared manure must be free from rank 
smells and violent heat, but still be capable of going on heating and 
-decaying. 
Forming- and Spawning-. —Mark or stake out the site, allowing 
a width not exceeding 3 feet, and work just inside of this. Shake out the 
manure so as to separate what flakes there may be and distribute it in 
layers, either trampling or heavily beating down each layer with the 
back of the fork. Gradually narrow the ridge till when from 30 inches 
to 3 feet high, it is only 6 inches wide. Finish off neatly, and slightly 
round the top. The manure must be put together so firmly as to 
make it no easy matter to thrust the necessary trial stakes well into the 
bed. Examine these sticks frequently. At first the heat will most 
likely increase considerably, but directly it is on the decline, or as soon 
as the heated part of the trial sticks can be comfortably borne in the 
palm of the hand, the time has arrived for spawning. 
Use fresh spawn and break the bricks up into about eight pieces. 
Insert these lumps in holes formed with the hand, and not a dibble, just 
below the surface, and about 8 inches apart each way, angling the 
holes being advisable. The start should be made 6 inches or so from the 
ground, and there will be no necessity to spawn quite up to the top of 
the ridge. Make all level and firm, looseness being prejudicial to the 
spread of Mushroom spawn. Continue to frequently examine the 
trial sticks, and if they are found to be very hot to the hand 
some of the enclosed vapour must be let out by means of a pointed iron 
rod thrust down through the centre or ridge of the bed at short intervals. 
This will quickly lower the temperature and save the manure from 
becoming dry and musty. A little judgment must be exercised as to 
when to soil over the beds. If the manure has been well prepared, the 
proper time to case over is on the fourth day after spawning, but it is 
better to defer this a few days longer rather than cause over-heating. 
Fresh fine yellow loam suits Mushrooms well, nothing answering better 
than that obtained from immediately under turf in a meadow. Failing 
virgin loam use garden soil dug from between the top spit and sub¬ 
soil. Firmly cover the beds with a layer 2 inches thick of soil, but do 
not wet and plaster it on, or cracking to a most injurious extent will 
inevitably result. Protect open air beds with strawy litter, lightly at 
first, and heavily, in the form of a thatch, when either heavy rains or 
frosts have to be warded off. 
Mushroom Beds under Cover. —Now is a good time to form 
beds either in Mushroom houses proper or in cellars, sheds, or snug out¬ 
houses of any kind. These beds should be nearly or quite flat, a gentle 
slope to the front being usually given, of any convenient width, and 
from 12 inches to 15 inches in depth. They can be enclosed either by 
walls or steut boards kept in position by means of strong uprights, and 
preferably be formed on the floor, shelves answering better later on. In 
these cases rather less short stained straw ought to be left with the 
manure, though in all other respects the preparation should be the same. 
This season much green food has been given to horses, but it should be 
remembered that it is from horses in hard work, and fed on hay and 
corn, that the droppings most suitable for making into Mushroom beds 
are obtained. If there is no choice take every care with the best that 
can be had. No fire heat ought to be turned on for some time to come, 
the best crops very frequently being had from the beds in snug unheated 
sheds and cellars. Prepare more manure for successional beds, supple¬ 
menting it with Oak leaves if the bulk is insufficient. Old Cucumber 
and Melon beds in houses might also be spawned with every prospect of 
a good crop of Mushrooms following in due course if only the top heat 
is not too strong. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Home from the Moors. 
After two months oE suspense and toil, with alternate disap¬ 
pointments and successes, we have returned from the moors. We 
had a brief period of fine weather, but this was followed by 
torrents of rain and a low temperature, and there were few morn¬ 
ings without hoarfrost. With all these drawbacks, however, I 
am home with a fair yield of Heather honey, but by no means so 
great as I have frequently had from the same place in as few days. 
My best hive, a second cross Carniolan, weighs gross 160 lbs., having 
increased in weight 70 lbs. My next best, a second cross Syrian, 
weighs about the same. Both these, along with the others, lost 
in weight the first month from 12 to 20 lbs., and near the end 
another 10 to 12 lbs., as is always the case, so that the actual 
gathering of our best hives would be 100 lbs. The average weight 
made from the setting down till the lifting is about 40 lbs. 
A dozen hives increased before going to the Heather to thirty-four. 
Although constantly attending my bees at the Heather, six swarms 
left unseen and were lost, it being impossible to detect them. 
Twenty seven of the thirty-three swarms I had were all returned. 
Among the rest was a Punic nucleus, the pure and cross giving 
alike satisfaction, having made on the whole as much, or perhaps 
more, than any other variety. They are no worse than other bees, 
nor so bad as the pure Italians for stinging or robbing, but are not 
entirely innocent in that respect. They are very prolific, and it is 
this good quality that our modernists do not know how to put to 
