February 16, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
145 
the bearing power of the Vines. This heavy cropping does not last 
long. Several growers find it profitable to occupy the space quickly, 
crop the Vines heavily, and when they are exhausted root them out and 
plant young Vines, or cut away the old rods and replace them with 
young from the base. The plan seems to be what you require—the 
fullest supply of Grapes of marketing quality from the least space in the 
shortest time ; therefore another Vine may be planted midway of the 
distance between the existing ones, so that they will be 3 feet apart; but 
you must not expect that part of the Vines on the back wall to produce 
satisfactory Grapes after the roof two-thirds down is occupied with rods 
3 feet asunder. 
Grubs In IVIarguerlte Iicaves {F. I).). —The leaf-mining insect is 
the larva of a small fly (Tephrites) similar to, if not identical with, the 
Celery fly which punctures the leaves and deposits eggs in them, these 
hatching into maggots that eat out this substance, often ruining the 
plants. The Celery fly can be prevented doing material injury by 
syringing the plants with a solution of petroleum and softsoap, 2 ozs, of 
the soap and a lump of soda being dissolved in a gallon of boiling water, 
stirring in very briskly while hot half a wineglassful, or a little more, of 
ordinary petroleum, or paraffin as it is incorrectly called, such as is 
burned in lamps. It should be applied to the plants in the evening. We 
have known it to destroy the maggots in the leaves. You can try the 
experiment of dipping a plant in the solution and noting the effects. You 
might also try lemon oil, using it according to the instructions supplied 
by the vendors. 
Mushrooms in Summer ^Amateur). —We gather from your letter 
that you desire to grow Mushrooms outdoors in summer. For that 
purpose a cool place is essential. A grower of our acquaintance digs a 
trench of the requisite width on the north side of a wall, fills it with 
suitable manure pressed down in the usual manner, sloping the surface 
up to the wall, casing with soil, covering and keep all moist, and he has 
excellent crops. In the absence of a position of that kind choose the 
coolest you have, and under and behind evergreens would be likely to 
answer very well. We have had good crops in a cool heavily shaded 
orchard in the summer. The less grass the horses have the better for 
the purpose in view, though we do not think you ought to fail under the 
circumstances you describe. You may mix one-third of Beech or Oak 
leaves with the manure, taking care the whole mass is uniformly moist, 
not over-fermented when used, and then made very firm. Peat moss, 
after being used in stables, may be mixed with the other materials, but 
excellent crops of Mushrooms have been grown from it without any 
admixture beyond a little loam. It cannot.be so well formed into ridges 
as manure consisting largely of decaying straw. You had better perhaps 
make the beds flat or nearly so, and cover them with shutters or any¬ 
thing that will throw off heavy rains. Narrow ridges are apt to get too 
dry in summer, and if you make a bed on the level of the ground, 
supporting with boards, care will be necessary not to let it get too dry, 
especially round the sides. 
Wet Tennis Xiawn (Z. M.'). —The half of the lawn which is so wet 
and unsatisfactory is obviously the result of bad workmanship. In 
levelling, some of the clay should have been taken out and a layer of 
porous soil added equal in thickness to that under the other half of the 
turf that is good. Drains in such a case are of small service, as the 
surface water cannot pass through the clay above them. Where drains 
are operative it is mainly by subsoil water rising upwards, then passing 
away through them, the level of the pipes being what is termed the 
water table, which but for them would be higher and the land might be 
swamped. Water does not pass downwards and directly into drains, but 
to the water table, hence pipes a foot below the surface may be “ dry,” 
while others 2 or 3 feet below them may “ run ” freely. The turf should 
be taken off, some of the clay removed, a thick layer of soil and ashes 
spread on, firmed, and the turf relaid. Until that is done the bad half 
of the lawn cannot be made equal to the other. 
Artificial Manure for Tomatoes (Y". Y. Z.). —There is little 
doubt that the heavy dressing of farmyard or stable manure accelerates, 
if not induces, the development of the worst forms of Tomato diseases. 
1, That in the leaves, fruits, and stems the Potato fungus (Phytophthora 
infestans) ; 2, Root disease caused by eel-worms (Tyleuchusdevastatrix). 
Artificial manures act in the opposite direction by strengthening the 
epidsrmal and structural tissues of the plants, and are especially valuable 
where the soil is rich in humus, or where the ground has been heavily 
manured or contains much vegetable matter, as turf. The following 
usually gives good results with both Potatoes and Tomatoes : Bone 
superphosphate 2 lbs., nitrate of soda 1 lb., kainit 1 lb., .sulphate of 
iron, 2J oz. mixed and applied at the rate of 2 ozs. per square 
yard. At that rate it is an excellent auxiliary to Potato land 
which has been manured with farmyard manure, applying it at 
the time of planting the tubers, and it may be used for Tomatoes 
when planting. It will not, however, do to follow on with the 
mixture as a top-dressing through the season on account of the chlorides 
which the kainit contains, and about three applications will be sufficient, 
say at planting (now or soon), again in six weeks, and a third dressing 
at a similar interval, or three only during the season. Midway of these 
periods you may use the following : Bone superphosphate 3 lbs., nitrate 
of potash 2 lbs., sulphate of lime 1 lb. ; mix and apply at the rate of 
2 ozs. per square yard, or, if the plants are weak and heavily cropped, 
double the quantity of this mixture may be used, but not of that which 
contains kainit. The last named mixture (not kainit) may be used 
exclusively through the season at intervals of about three weeks, taking 
care to have the saltpetre (nitrate of pota.sh) finely powdered, otherwise 
it may injure the roots it comes into contact with. Similar remarks 
apply to nitrate of soda. 
GARDENERS’ CHARITABLE AND PROVIDENT 
INSTITUTIONS. 
The Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution.—N ecrefary, 
Mr. G. J. Ingram, 50, Parliament Street, London, W.C. 
United Horticultural Provident and Benefit Society.— 
Secretary, Mr. W. Collins, 9, Martindale Road, Balham, London, S.W. 
Gardeners’ Orphan Yv - STt .— Secretary, Mr. A. F. Barron, Royal 
Horticultural Society’s Gardens, Chiswick, London, W. 
COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— February 15th. 
No a teration. Market steady, with prices firm. 
FRUIT. 
s. d. 8. d. 
Apples, half sieve .. ,. 1 0 to 3 6 
„ Nova Scotia, per 
barrel.12 0 17 0 
Cobbs, Kent, per 100 lbs. 0 0 125 0 
Orapes, per ib. 0 6 3 0 
Lemons, case ., 
Oranges, per 100 
Peaches, per dozen .. 
St. Michael Pines, each 
s. 
10 
4 
0 
3 
d. s. d. 
0tol5 0 
0 9 0 
0 0 0 
0 6 0 
VEGETABLES, 
Beans, Kidney, per lb. 
Beet, Red, dozen.. 
Oarrots, bunch. 
Cauliflowers, dozen .. . 
Oelery, bundle . 
Ooleworts, dozen bunches 
Oncumbers, dozen .. . 
Endive, dozen . 
Herbs, bunch ,. ,. . 
Leeks, bunch . 
Lettuce, dozen. 
Mushrooms, punnet .. , 
Arbor Vitse (golden) dozen 
Aspidistra, per dozen 
Aspidistra, specimen plant 
Azalea, per dozen .. .. 
Chrysanthemums, per doz. 
Cineraria, per dozen .. .. 
Oupressus, large plants,each 
Cyclamen, dozen pots 
8, d. s. d. 
0 6 to 1 0 
0 0 0 
s. 
6 
18 
5 
24 
6 
8 
2 
9 
0 0 
3 0 
1 3 
4 0 
12 0 
I 6 
0 0 
0 0 
1 0 
1 n 
PLANTS 
Mustard and Cress, punnet 
Onions, bunch . 
Parsley, dozen bunches .. 
Parsnips, dozen. 
Potatoes, par cwt. 
Salsafy, bundle. 
Scorzonera, bundle .. 
Seakale, per basket .. .. 
Shallots, per lb. 
Spinach, bushel.3 
Tomatoes, per lb.0 
Turnips, bunch.0 
IN POTS, 
d. 
2 to 0 
3 0 
s. d. 
0 
5 
0 
0 
0 
6 
0 
9 
0 U 
3 6 
0 6 
0 4 
Dractena terminalis, dozen 13 
„ viridis, dozen .. 9 
Euonymus,var., dozen .. 6 
Evergreens, in var., dozen 6 
Ferns, in variety, dozen .. 4 
Ferns (small) per hundred 6 
d. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
S. 
d 
0 to 12 
0 
Ficus elastica, each .. .. 
1 
6 to 10 
0 
0 
36 
0 
Foliage plauts, var., each.. 
2 
0 
10 
0 
0 
ID 
6 
Genista, per dozen 
10 
0 
15 
0 
0 
42 
0 
Hyacinths, dozen pots 
8 
0 
12 
u 
0 
9 
0 
Lily of the Valley, dozen 
0 
12 
0 
pots. 
12 
0 
18 
0 
0 
5 
0 
Lycopodiums, per dozen ., 
3 
0 
4 
0 
0 
18 
0 
Marguerite Daisy, dozen .. 
6 
0 
1 
0 
0 
42 
0 
Myrtles, dozen. 
6 
0 
9 
0 
0 
24 
0 
Palms, in var.. each .. 
1 
0 
15 
0 
0 
18 
0 
„ (specimens) .. .. 
21 
0 
63 
0 
0 
24 
0 
Primula, single, doz. pots 
4 
0 
6 
u 
0 
18 
0 
Solauums per dozen .. .. 
9 
0 
12 
e) 
0 
8 
6 
Tulips, dozen pots 
6 
0 
9 
0 
AVERAGE WHOLESALE PRIOES.—OUT FLOWERS. 
Orchid Blooms in variety. 
d. s. d 
Anemones (French), dozen 
bunches. 
Arum Lilies, 12 blooms .. 
Azalea, dozen sprays.. .. 
Bouvardias, bunch ., .. 
Camellias, doz. blooms .. 
0 to 
0 
6 
6 
0 
0 
Chrysanthemums, dozen 
bunches . 
4 
0 
12 
0 
Daffodils, double, dozen 
bunches. 
6 
0 
10 
0 
Daffodils, single, dozen 
bunches. 
8 
0 
15 
0 
Eucharis, dozen .. .. .. 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Gardenias, per dozen 
12 
0 
24 
0 
Hyacinth, Roman, 12 sprays 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Lilac, white, French, per 
bunch . 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Lilium longiflorum 12 
blooms . 
9 
0 
12 
0 
Lily of the Valley, dozen 
sprays . 
0 
6 
1 
6 
Maidenhair Fern, dozen 
bunches. 
6 
0 
9 
0 
Marguerites, 12 bunches 
Mignonette, 12 bunches 
d. s. d. 
0 to 1 6 
0 6 0 
0 12 6 
0 12 0 
Mimosa, French, per bunch 1 
Narciss, var., French, dozen 
bunches .3 
Orchids, per dozen blooms 3 
Pelargoniums, 12 bunches 8 
Pelargoniums, scarlet, doz. 
bunches. 60 90 
Poinsettia, per dozen .. 3 0 6 0 
Primroses, dozei bunches 2 0 3 0 
Primula (double) 12 sprays 0 9 10 
Roses (French), per doz. .. 2 0 6 0 
,, „ boxes, 100. 5 0 8 0 
„ (indoor), dozen ..2 0 ^ 
„ R d, per doz. blooms.. 6 0 12 0 
,, T a, white, dozen ..16 ^ ® 
„ Yellow, dozen .. .. 4 0 6 0 
Snowdrops, dozen bunches 10 ^ ® 
Tuberoses, 12 blooms.. ..10 16 
Tulips, dozen blooms ..0 6 2 0 
Violets, Parme, French, per 
bunch . 4 0 5 0 
Violets, Czar, French, per 
bunch . 3 0 4 0 
Violets, Victoria, French, 
dozen bunchei .... 3 0 40 
SPRING CROPPING. 
In drilling spring corn the advantage of “clean” land must 
not be forgotten. With it we can distribute the seed in the 
best way ; without it the seed must be confined to drills far 
enough apart to admit of the use of both horse and hand 
hoes. The best way of sowing is to drill half the usual quantity 
of seed and then to cross-drill the other half-/.e., across the 
first drills at right angles to them. By this method we obtain 
the best possible plant over the entire surface of the field, the 
e enness and regularity of which is altogether superior to that 
from broadcast sowing, which depends so much upon the skill 
of the sower, and in any case can nev\r be quite regular. Thick 
