Febnuury 2, 18S8 ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
81 
that these plants enjoy during their growing season, but there are 
waste plugs constructed so that the water can be let out when the 
house is required to be drier in the winter season. The temperature 
is never allowed to go below 48° or 50° in the winter season. Should 
a plant be making a new growth while it has a flower spike, the 
latter is removed to throw all the energies of the plant into the new 
growth. The marvellous development of these plants that were 
only small imported pieces three years ago is proof that the con¬ 
struction of the house and the treatment they receive is another 
instance of the thoughtful work and intelligent skill displayed by 
Mr. W. Jordan, the gardener, in everj’tfaing ho takes in hand.— 
43 . 0 . . 
PL.\NTS AND FLOWERS IN THE HOUSE. 
(^Continued from page 60.) 
AM.anYLLisi'.s cut with the stem the full length are grand for 
large glasses. So also we occasionally cut trusses of Eucharis and 
Imantophyllum with long stems, and all these should stand clear of 
•overy other flower or loaf. Small vessels of glass or metal are very 
pretty set about tables. It is the worst taste to crowd these ; a few 
sprays of Lily of the Valley with a leaf or two, a good specimen 
bloom of a Chrysanthemum, one or more good Hoses, or a spray or 
two of any Orchid, with an accompanying spray of Maidenhair 
Fern or Asparagus is all that is wanted. When flat dishes are used 
we like to fill these with whatever is employed. Almost any kind 
'Of flower is admissible so long as it is not tail. In arranging them 
we use nothing but water to keep the flowers fresh, but fill in with 
■some green material, such as Box, sprays of Myrtle, scented Pelar¬ 
goniums, &c., Roses, Chrysanthemum's, Eucharis, Orchids, Tulips, 
Pelargoniums,' Ivy-leaf especially, Chinese Primulas, common 
Primulas, Polyanthuses, Auriculas^ Camellias, Snowdrops, Crocuses, 
■&C., being all admissible. If very choice flowem are used a good 
spray or two of Maidenhair Fern, put in after the flowers liave been 
arranged, and standing boldly out from among them, gives a good 
finish. Certain Grasses, bits of Bamboo, the leafage of the flowers 
employed, Ac., may all be used, but never in excess. 
In small rooms, especially those with low ceilings, small plants 
and the smaller flower glasses should be used. In cases w'here 
groups of plants are wanted one can hardly have too many Maiden¬ 
hair Ferns. Isolepis, Ficus repens, and Panicum variegatum, Bam- 
busa Fortunoi vai-iegata, small plants of Asparagus tenuissimus, 
and A. plumosus, and Cypcrus alternifolius are also usefu'. If 
flowering plants are scarce those can be used as a full gi’oundwork, 
and just a few plants in flower dotted among them. Indeed in 
any case it is well to avoid making groups heavy with many large 
plants. 
But when we have all arrangements of plants completed 
there are numerous little points to be observed in order to keep 
them in health and make iiowers stand as long as possible, and in 
providing a continuous supply. If plants avere merely taken into a 
room for a day or two it would not matter so much, but when they 
are kept there for many weeks then it is necessary 'to pay particular 
■attention to see they do not suffer. If a room is kept oiily mode¬ 
rately warm there is little fear of harm, but avhen they are kept hot 
dhe plants in dark position suffer very quickly. Of course often 
■changing is perforce the rule in such cases. All plants taken 
into rooms should be in good health (that is a first principlej, clean, 
no insects present, and the roots healthy and active. Water should 
be given before it is placed, and after-wards keep the soil moist and 
never on any account allowed to become dry. In order to use as 
little water as possible, and make sure that it quickly goes through 
the soil, -we have for the past year or two used warm ■water for all 
house plants. An occasional s^Tinging with -warm water and 
.soap or sponging the leaves wdth the same mixture will keep the 
plants free from dust, make them look fresher, and be better for 
iheir health. 
Flowering plants should be selected which are not quite as far 
in flower as they will be. This applies to all kinds, Dutch bulbs, 
Lily of the Valley, Ac., as well as others. When it happens that 
no plant will be tolerated in a room which is declining ever so little 
in beauty, the forceiof so selecting fresh young specimens will be more 
readily understood. With regard to cut flowers. It is of the 
utmost importance, in order to keep up a continuous supply of 
good flowers, that tlie proper stage to cut them should be under¬ 
stood and acted on. If, for instanee, a number of Pelargoniums 
only half developed in the truss were cut, and others were on 
the plants fully developed, the result would be that the latter 
would be past before using, and those cut too quickly would be 
wanted later on, when they would lie quite as good. But further, 
.supposing the Pelargoniums cut were the only ones to be had, there 
might be some other flower developed to its utmost extent, and 
which required cutting, and thus the same effect would ensue. Of 
course there is the alternative of drafting them into cooler drier 
quarters, but where an establishment is in fuU swing, and the most 
wanted out of everything, it does not pay to stop a growing plant 
when it happens that the more growth it makes the more it flowers. 
Placing flo-wers in water during winter is not a good way to keep them 
—that is to say, if they are expected to stand any time in vases. It 
is much better to put them into a perfectly cool room, either in a 
nearly close tin box, or if not to bo kept long they may lie open. 
Of course every flower will not keep in this w^ay, but very many 
do. "When used, the end of the stem is eut off and the flower 
treated to a little w^arm wuiter, but in all cases it is best to cut 
from the plant as wanted. For keeping flow'ers fresh and good 
nothing excels pure water in the vessel in which they are arranged 
The latter must be kept perfectly clean, not only on account of its 
appearance, but also on account of the flowers. Deep stemmed 
glasses are easily cleaned by means of brushes on flexible wire 
stems, the upper portions being rubbed with a sponge or a cloth.. 
The water used should not be too hot, lest the glass should crack. 
When well cleansed rinse in cold water. Dry the outside with a 
proper cloth, fill with sufficient lukewarm waiter, and theji arrange 
the flowers. The next day the glass wdll require filling with 
water. Flowers should not stand longer than a week without re¬ 
arranging. The stems of good flowers should be washed in warm 
water, a portion cut off each, the glass again cleaned, and fresh 
water supplied.—B. 
MUSHROOM HOUSE WITH A GLASS ROOF. 
Mushroom houses in many instances are not what they ought 
to be in private gardens, and the gardener is blamed for any defi¬ 
ciency in the supply of this delicious esculent, therefore any hints 
that m'ly be of use are worth reC'Ording. The roof of our Mush¬ 
room house being in a bad state, we thought of renewing it, and 
the question arose as to how it should be done. Having carefully 
read the practical treatise on the cultivation of Mushrooms by Mr. 
Wright, we thought a departure might be made with safety. 
Taking as our guide what Mr. Wright in the above treatise calls 
the easiest of all systems of culture, pages 75 and 7(3, in a Melon 
or Cucumber frame we put on a glass roof, using quarter-inch rolled 
plats glass in large sheets 4 feet G inches by 1 foot 5 inches, with a 
G-inch lap, two of the sheets being used as ventilators, the frame¬ 
work being galvanised T iron. The house is of the usual descrip¬ 
tion, a lean-to behind a north w.ill with the beds in tiers of slate 
slabs, supported by cast iron and heated by a flow and return pipe 
placed in or under the cast-iron pathway. 
On the 17th September we spawned our first bed ; this came 
into bearing in six weeks. On October 17th a second^bed was 
spawned, and this came into bearing in seven weeks. On November 
IGth we spawned a third bed, and this also came into bearing in seven 
■n'eeks. The quality was about what is usually found in private 
gardens, as you will see by the seven I enclose to show you the 
average quality, as we gather them every morning. I may mention 
the beds are 20 feat long by 3 feet wide and 1 foot deep at the front, 
sloping to 1 foot G inches at the back, with a slight co-vering of 
stable litter on each, which answers two purposes, keeping both 
moisture and temperature at a regular point. 
I will now tell you why we decided on using glass. We only 
require a supply of Mushrooms six nionlhs in the year, the house 
being empty and useless the other part—at least four months ; that 
is what we will call under the dark system. Now, I think we can 
make the house useful during these four months, besides being 
better adapted for forcing such things as Rhubarb. Asparagus 
and Seakale we find succeed in the same house in a part specially 
darkened. All things considered, we think we have m-ade a decided 
improvement, and w'e shall be very pleased if any of your readms 
are able to pick what Mr. Iggulden calls a “wrinkle” out of the 
above narration of facts,—A. H.igu.iim'. 
[The Mushrooms received were very fine indeed.] 
SIZE VERSUS QUALITY. 
While this question is under consideration it would be a step 
in the right direction if other authorities would follow the example 
of your able correspondent, Mr. Thomson, and record their opinions 
thereon, in order th.it a right conclusion may bo arrived at as to 
what should be a standard of quality. If this could be accomplished 
it would be a boon to many. I think the most glaring instances of 
size being preferred to quality is to be found at the Scotch sIioms. 
For example, at the last Edinburgh International the first Pi'ize ^n 
the bi<r Grape class was awarded to huge unripe exhibits, while the 
third prize in the same class was awarded to as neat a collection as 
one could wish for, every bunch of equal size, varieties of good 
quality, perfectly ripe, and without a blemish. In this case 1 knew 
neither judge nor exhibitors, yet I felt more dissatisfied with this 
