September 29 1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
2G7 
managed, neither do they give so much suiface space as the ridge¬ 
shaped beds adopted inside the partition. Such bods run crosswise 
of the tunnel, are 1G feet long, 3 feet wide at the base, 2) feet 
high, and 1 foot wide at the top. Boxes of this shape and size are 
used to facilitate the formation of the beds, which they do, as 
treading the beds firmly is more easily accomplished by this 
means. Thus it will be seen that there were over 1100 yards of 
ridge-shaped beds, I having counted 210 in various stages. There 
were 14 mile 0 f beds formed, as much as 1400 tons of manure 
being in use at that time, much of the horse manure coming from 
the military barracks in the city. Many other kinds of material 
was being used for experiment, 3uch as peat litter and cow manure, 
for instance. The beds were in all stages of formation, from the 
manure preparation, to formation of the beds, spawning the beds, 
-soiling, covering with hay, to beds in full bearing—the crop being 
wonderful to behold ; Mushrooms by the thousand in all stages of 
^growth, from the smallest buttons to the finest full grown speci¬ 
mens—in one clump of a square foot was counted eighty-two 
Mushrooms. The spawn used is specially prepared for the Com¬ 
pany. As much as G tons had already been used since the com¬ 
mencement in May last. Quite an even temperature could be 
maintained in the tunnel. Even through the hot summer just 
past it did not vary but little. Mr. J. Wright’s book on Mush¬ 
room culture no doubt assisted the promoters of the scheme 
considerably. At the exhibition of the Royal Caledonian Horti¬ 
cultural Society, held on the 7th inst. in the Waverley Market 
Hall, a very fine exhibit from the Company in question was staged, 
as showing some of the results of this enterprise. In a Wardian 
Eern case, 3 feet long, and 1 foot 3 inches wide, groups of Mush¬ 
rooms were to be seen in a growing state, as many as 130 being 
counted on a slightly raised mound in the centre, while the inside 
next the case was ornamented with hardy Ferns. About three 
dozen punnets containing Mushrooms in various stages of growth 
were arranged on a table adjoining this exhibit formed a very 
interesting feature in this excellent show.—E. Molyneux. 
LILIES IN SUNlOR SHADE. 
If 1 were asked thequestion unconditionally whether I considered shade 
beneficial to the well-being of Lilies generally, I should most decidedly 
answer in the affirmative provided that the trees supplying such shade 
were at a sufficient distance from the plants, so that their roots would not 
impoverish the soil in the Lily bed. But many might say, How can such 
statements be reconciled when many growers plant them in woods and 
in private gardens where fine trees are a leading feature ? In the first 
place no Lily grower of experience would knowingly plant his choice 
bulbs close to Poplars or Elms, the roots of which travel superficially 
to a considerable distance, and especially on shallow soils. The best of 
all positions for Lilies is a cool shady border or bed which is not ex¬ 
hausted by the roots of trees. If a scorching sun will harm Lilies—and 
it does under certain conditions—then we have had sufficient sun and 
heat during this summer to test it. The conditions under which Lilies 
suffer in consequence of the tropical heat is when the surface soil of the 
bed is fully exposed to the drying influence of the sun. In this case the 
stem roots, which in some species render considerabie service to the 
flower stems, soon perish. Invariably in private establishments Lilium 
candidum is found in the borders at the side of the broad walk in the 
kitchen garden, and in many cases the clumps are isolated. I have seen 
many thus this summer, and while having flowered freely for years pre¬ 
viously have only produced a flower stem here and there, and these have 
perished before the flowers had time to expand. Upon examination I 
found that the bulbs had gradually risen near the surface, a circumstance 
to which they are liable after having occupied the same position for 
several successive years. The only conclusion that the gardeners in the 
cases referred to had arrived at was that it was the great heat. My own 
case ended in almost total failure, though the attendant circumstances 
were different, and were due to the neglect of the labourer, who, instead 
of planting them 6 inches deep as directed, in some instances little more 
than covered them. They did not flower according to my expectations 
last year, but being planted only in the year previous, and thinking they 
were hardly established, I did not interfere with them, and so made up 
my mind for a good season’s flower in the present year. Had I searched 
for the reason at once I should have been able to supply a remedy, and 
thus saved a season’s bloom. Last autumn wdth the rain the radical 
leaves came away strong, and I was well satisfied by the show of flower 
stems this year. These, however, had scarcely reached their usual height 
when decay again set in. The first item I discovered was the flower 
stems burst in many cases just above ground, continuing upwards to 
from 3 to 4 inches. I do not know what caused this, and may be some 
of your correspondents may be able to inform me. I imagined, however, 
that it was due to a superfluity of sap in that part of the stem, and 
■which really had passed from the bulbs for developing the flowers, but 
which in many cases had fallen off, the bursting following as a con¬ 
sequence of expansion caused by the intense heat. The bursting in each 
case was on the side of the stem opposite to the sun. I next lifted a bulb for 
examination, and was surprised to find its apex only an inch below the 
surface ; but regarding this as a bulb uplifted by rnoles which are some¬ 
what troublesome, I examined several, only to find them in the same 
depth row for row. Here, then, was the secret of the failure. 
Now for amother experience. Planted on an adjoining bed to the 
Lilium _ candidum, of which I have spoken, are several varieties of 
L. speciosum, and including rubrum, cruentum, Krastzeri, and others. 
I hese are fully exposed, and without the slightest shade. They differfrom 
L. candidum, however, by being planted thickly all over the bed, and not 
in rows 8 or 10 inches apart. By this style of planting the ground is 
completely shrouded by the foliage of the Liliums, and as a consequence 
the ground does not, even under the hottest sun, feel the great heat; 
and throughout the summer under this dense shade it has been com¬ 
paratively cool. It becomes very dry naturally if not watered, but 
even this is not to be compared with what they suffer when the sun with 
its fullest force pours down upon them. Another advantage is they 
may be flooded with water in full sun, and evaporation under these con¬ 
ditions would be much more gradual. I have several times treated mine 
to a good soaking even in midday, and the ground has kept fairly moist 
for some time, and I am now being rewarded with good blooms. My 
original reasons for planting the Liliums thus thickly was to give them 
a covering in the event of spring frosts, from which they suffer very 
much. Planted upon the same principle I have auratums in abund¬ 
ance, and that grand variety platyphyllum, also Tiger Lilies, longi- 
florum in variety, elegans in many forms, davuricum, the scarlet 
Martagon, with several of the varieties of L. speciosum. None of these - 
have the slightest chance of shade overhead, and thus planted are in ex¬ 
cellent health notwithstanding the great heat. From this I draw the 
conclusion that overhead shade is not absolutely necessary to success, 
provided the sun be not allowed to scorch the surface of the bed. 
Where thick planting cannot be indulged in a mulch of short litter or 
cocoa-nut fibre should be given, and deep planting always indulged in 
for all Lilies except it be the dwarfer forms of elegans. 
For the sake of experiment I planted a few weeks back some fine 
bulbs of L. candidum against my cottage wall in a position where the 
sun pours forth all its fury from its rising till about 1.30 P.M. I have 
treated them liberally and planted them deeplv ; but I shall, all being 
well, cover the ground deeply with cocoa-nut fibre or short manure as 
soon as the flower stems are well up, and patiently watch the result, as 
compared with the large bed, which will receive no special treatment at 
that time. I trust those who have failed with their border Lilies this 
year will carefully weigh the experiences I have here advanced, for I 
have come to the conclusion that nearly all the family may be grown in 
full sun, provided the surface of the bed be supplied with a light mulch¬ 
ing. The Swamp Lilies, we all know, delight in full sun, but the bed 
being always moist quite alters the condition of things ; indeed, there 
are numbers of reputed shade-loving plants which, if planted in a boggy 
spot in full sun, succeed admirably, and especially does this apply to 
some of the lovely species of Himalayan Primulas.— A Lily Geowee. 
HOLLYHOCKS. 
“ W. D.,” in liis able paper on the Hollyhock in your issue of 
the 10th inst., has set me thinking about the years and scenes of 
olden times, when the Hollyhock was grown and shown near per¬ 
fection in spike and cut flower at the Crystal Palace, Alnwick, 
Bishop Auckland, Brighton, and Edinburgh, and recalls the names 
of Chater, Paul, Bragg, Bircham, Laing (afterwards Downie, 
Laird, and Laing), Harrison, Mclndoe, Oliver, the Rev., after¬ 
wards Lord Hawke, and Henry May. It is to the first-mentioned, 
the honoured name of Chater, as a nurseryman we owe the first 
great impulse given to the growth of this noble flower, by exhi¬ 
biting throughout the United Kingdom a collection or selection of 
improved forms, raised by Chas. Barron, a shoemaker by trade, I 
believe. The raising of seedlings from them w'as afterwards taken 
up extensively by Chater, Paul, &c., and the flower made rapid 
strides. I well remember the day after the first National Rose Show, 
held in St. James’s Hall, running down to see Mr. Chater at home 
for the first time as a stranger. After that day we were no longer 
such, and I cherish many pleasing recollections of him. From 
there most of the best flowers were being sent out. I had after¬ 
wards a look in at Cheshunt, and as many grand sorts came from 
that classic ground for the Rose, such sorts as In Memoriam, 
Lizzie, Eldorado, &c. ; thence to London and Slough, with Dahlia 
Umpire on the brain, to see Mr. C. Turner. I called in at 
Bragg’s to see a seedling Hollyhock Primrose Queen, and a right 
regal flower it was (no flower to be seen so full now) when well 
done. After a time other raisers and growers came to the front. 
Mr. Laing was then at Dysart House, and well do I recollect his 
Beauty of Dysart, so delicate and so beautiful in spike ; his grand 
Lord Loughborough, so richly shining, so large and massive, for 
years often the corner peg—back row. To give those who are 
beginning to boast of Hollyhock growing some idea of the size of 
the flowers as grown, one of my men when going to Mai ton Show 
wagered the late Mr. Gr. Edward he had a flower 9 inches across. 
He won the wager wdth Lord Loughborough, but did not put the 
flower into the stand, and bear in mind this was not considered the 
Anak (Chater’s) amongst Hollyhocks. The last-named stood first 
in Chater’s list. Well do I also recollect my first essay at the 
Crystal Palace, being disqualified for showing on plain white cards. 
