266 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Sei temb r J3, 1887. 
heaps of heated manure in order to ripen them properly. 
I have been told by a gentleman, whose memory of the 
fruit may be somewhat vitiated by boyish incapacity to 
detect anything wanting in the flavour, that Pears thus 
treated were better than any he has now. Any way, there 
is no doubt that Pears may be wonderfully improved by 
a few days in a hothouse before using. An uninterrupted 
supply of good Pears may be kept up by this method, 
when if left to ripen naturally there would be gluts and 
scarcity.—A Northerner. 
LATE PLANTING OF TREES AND SIIhUBS. 
Last spring I had to carry out a rather extensive operation of 
lifting and transplanting a large number of trees and shrubs during 
the months of April and May—rather an unusual time of the year 
for that kind of work ; but there were two objects in view. A 
-certain space of ground had to be cleared for the purpose of throw¬ 
ing up a terrace and making a lawn at a lower level running on to a 
piece of water, which is to be enlarged, rendered ornamental, and 
brought into full view of the mansion. The shrubs were wanted 
for the purpose of making a private and ornamental approach to 
the church. Now, as the season was advancing beyond the time 
calculated to ensure the greatest success, and followed as it was by 
an unusual and prolonged period of dry weather, I thought it would 
be interesting and useful to others if I gave some particulars of the 
work and the success or the reverse of the different plants moved, 
and help to disprove the opinion held by many that transplanting 
at that late part of the season cannot be attended with a satisfactory 
result. 
The shrubs and trees included most of the leading ornamental 
kinds, deciduous and evergreen, usually found in an extensive plea¬ 
sure ground. The soil in which they were growing, as well as that 
to which they were transferred, is a chalky loam resting on a bed of 
solid chalk, therefore procuring a good ball of soil to the roots was 
not always accomplished. They had been planted about seven 
years, and their height ranged from 4 up to 10 or 12 feet, many of 
them bulky in proportion. Each plant as taken up had its roots 
packed in mats, as it was some distance to carry them. The lighter 
ones were conveyed on a trolly or cart; the heavier ones, some of 
which weighed half a ton or more, were moved by a contrivance of 
our own, a rough sketch of which (fig. 34) I give with explanatory 
notes. 
Seven pieces of 9-inch plank by 1^ inch thick strongly braced 
together, leaving projections 8 inches over, as shown by 1, 2, 3, 
and 4. In order to use this the tree should be pulled over, so that 
the ball shall lie on its side. The board is then thrust under the 
ball as far as it is possible to get it, braces uppermost. If put 
underneath these would hinder the plant, or, I should say, the 
board from sliding on the ground, and make the draft heavier by 
driving the earth before it. Then pull the plant upright, and it 
will place the ball nearly if not quite in the centre of the board. 
It is then bound on tightly by chains or ropes in the way the dotted 
lines indicate and around each projection. This gives stability to 
it and holds the plant in its place. The horse is attached to a hook 
at 5, and the plant can be drawn to its place comparatively easy. 
The ground for the trees’ reception was a piece of pasture, and the 
station for every plant set out and the holes dug at different depths 
and widths before a plant was moved, in order that when once 
taken up they should be put in without delay. All the deciduous 
kinds were taken first, as the buds on most were swelling fast. 
These chiefly consisted of Laburnums (20), Lilacs (17), Larch (19), 
Scarlet Chestnuts (8), Mountain Ash (7), Deutzias (15), Spiraeas 
(14), double-flowering Cherry (8), several varieties of Thorns (21), 
Maples (11), Limes (15), and Robinias (19). Out of the above 
number I lost three Larch, two Thorns, four Acacias, and one Ash. 
The evergreens were Chinese and American Arbor Yitoe, (50), 
Cupressus Liwsoniana (14), Cotoneaster microphylla (11), Green 
Box (9), Aucubas (7), Cryptomeria elegans (17), Yews, common and 
Irish (19), Hollies (23), Silver Firs (8), Spruce (19), Laurustinus (7), 
Portugal and common Laurels (30), Evergreen Oaks (17), Picea 
grandis (4), variegated and green Euoriymus (11), Bays (17), 
Austrian Pines (25), Araucaria imbricata (4). Out of this number 
I lost three Arbor Vitaes, one Cotoneaster, nine Cryptomerias, two 
Yews, five Hollies, one Laurustinus, three Portugal Laurels, seven 
Evergreen Oaks, Berberis Darwini five, and three Spruce. All 
others in both sections not named as lost bore the ordeal of removal 1 
very well. Considering the total number of plants—over 450—tho 
per-centage of losses was not large considering the lateness of tha 
season. 
Those that have proved worst according to the numbers are 
Robinias, Evergreen Oaks, Berberis Darwini, and Cryptomeria. 
elegans, which from their peculiar propensities of either striking- 
down into the subsoil or out straight for some distance before 
making any fibrous roots, making it difficult to secure the roots- 
intact. In my opinion such trees should have a preparation for 
some time previous to being removed. As a pi oof of this, six of 
the Evergreen Oaks had been dug round for removal six months- 
previous, but were not wanted. These came out with a good ball, 
and did not appear to receive a check. Now a word about the 
planting. In this we were very particular. After each plant was 
put in its proper position and any straggling roots laid out, the sides 
of each hole were broken in with the planting, for I have proved it 
to be a very bad plan, whether in a light or heavy soil, to put a 
plant as it were into a basin and leave it so. In time the roots 
leach the sides and are unable for some time to penetrate it ; the 
plant thus receives a check and perhaps dies. Therefore all was 
worked up together and made firm, each plant well staked and tied 
on two sides, and well watered. Every plant was either mulched 
with rough manure or grass, and as the weather was very dry our 
system was to water them every week. 
Araucaria imbricata does not thrive here. A chalky soil is unsuit¬ 
able, but the Austrian Pine is quite at home, makes a very 
ornamental tree, and bears the wind remarkably well. It should be 
noted that my trees were all at home—that is, grown on the estate, 
and the season being late by three weeks or more favoured the 
operation, yet I have found from experience that lots of our orna¬ 
mental evergreen shrubs will submit successfully to removal at any 
time of the year if weather permits and they are not actually in 
full growth. Judicious treatment at the time and afterwards are 
requisite to success.— Thomas Record. 
MUSHROOM GROWING IN A RAILWAY 
TUNNEL. 
While recently on a visit to Edinburgh I was invited to 
inspect a new venture in Mushroom cultivation on a large scale, 
and in what at first appeared to me a strange place — viz., the 
railway tunnel in Edinburgh, the entrance to which is in Scotland 
Street, the tunnel having been disused for the last twenty years 
owing to its not being considered safe for railway traffic. Last 
May a company was formed styling themselves the Scottish 
Mushroom Company, of which Mr. Thomas Handasyde was 
appointed manager, their object being to supply Mushrooms of 
the finest quality to the city of Edinburgh and neighbouring 
towns in competition with foreign produce, and judging from the 
start made the venture is likely to be a success. The total length 
of the tunnel is 1100 yards by 24 feet wide. It is estimated 
that 2000 tons of manure and soil will be required to complete 
the whole length of tunnel. On one side of the tunnel is laid a 
double line of metals upon which the engine and trucks travel. 
The manure is prepared in its first stages of fermentation in 
another place 500 yards away to avoid any nuisance to the city, 
and is then brought into the tunnel in railway trucks drawn by an 
engine belonging to the North British Railway Company, who are 
very obliging in assisting by all available means. The manure in a 
half-prepared state is deposited in heaps of 6 tons, the amount 
carried in each truck, where the final preparation takes place ; the 
same with the soil used in covering the beds, that is brought in in 
the same manner and prepared as required. The first 200 yards 
of the tunnel is partitioned off with boards to prevent draught, 
which at certain times was found to be inconvenient in the working 
operations. The Company was fortunate in securing the services 
of Mr. B. Holmes of Clapham as grower, who had previously had 
considerable experience in the culture of Mushrooms. The first 
part of the tunnel was laid out in flat beds some 8 feet wide, and 
others 4 feet G inches, but are not considered to be so easily 
