16 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 9, 1891. 
Several dwarf Geraniums are also well ia flower. The native 
G. Iancastriens9, a native of Walney Isle, is very pret f y, but finer 
still are the attractive G. cinereum and the exquisite G. argenteum, 
with pale flowers and beautiful silk-like silvery leaves. The latter 
i3 a native of the Alps of Duuphiny and the Pyrenees, and was 
introduced as early as 1699, according to the “ Cottage Gardeners’ 
Dictionary,” but according to the Hortus Cantabrigiensis ” it was 
not introduced until 1791. The latter date is, in all likelihood, 
that of re-introduction, as it is liable to perish from damp in 
winter. G. cinereum is a native of the Pyrenees, but the date of 
introduction seems to be unknown. 
I have left myself but little space for notices of taller herbaceous 
plants, but some are so fine at present that other alpines must be 
left alone. Among the finest 1 have seen was the tall Dictamnus 
taurica, known also, I believe, as D. gigantea, the Taurian Bastard 
Dittany. The old D. Fraxinella and its white variety are well 
known, but the Taurian species is of much greater beauty. More 
vigorous in habit and with larger and finer spikes of flowers 
somewhat similar in colour to those of D. Fraxinella, it would 
be an ornament to any garden. It possesses, too, the curious 
property of giving off, when in flower, a vapour which will take 
fire if a lighted match is applied to it, without injuring the 
plant. I recollect some years ago a correspondent of Garden- Work 
who had observed this, and whose veracity someone had called 
in question, producing, to my great amusement, a certificate from 
the Provost of Auchtermuchty to testify that he had seen the 
experiment performed. These Dictamnuses will stand drought 
very well, sending down their thick roots a considerable distance 
into the soil. 
Some of the Eryngiums or Sea Hollies are coming well 
forward, although the blue coloured species are only beginning to 
show faint touches of the fine colour which adds so much to their 
beauty. The various Eryngiums and Echinops and other thistly 
plants are at present very popular in this district, and in a short 
time will be seen in most gardens with a pretension to having a 
respectable collection of hardy flowers. And what a wealth of 
beauty is still untouched ! Lychnises, Irises, Poppies, Stonecrops, 
Saxifrages, Yeronicas, tall Campanulas, and others of which we 
may say as did Drayton :— 
“ With many a flower whose name were now too long to tell,” 
open their blooms to our admiring eyes, and we are forced to say 
with Thomson: — 
“ Infinite numbers, delicacies, swells, 
With hues on hues expression cannot paint, 
The breath of Nature, and her endless bloom.” 
—S. Arnott. 
MUSHROOMS IN HOT WEATHER. 
If the opinions of most cooks are worthy of consideration, and 
they ought frequently to be consulted, it amounts to this, that 
Mushrooms are always of good service to them, and in addition 
are fully appreciated by their employers. This being pretty 
generally realised among gardeners, the attempt is made by all in 
a position to do so to keep up as nearly as possible an all-the-year- 
round supply. Some few succeed in this, but the majority fail 
during the hottest part of the year—or say, July and August, and 
that oftentimes through no fault of theirs. High temperatures and 
a parched atmosphere are usually fatal to Mushrooms, these causing 
the beds to become as “ dry as a bone,” and what few Mushrooms 
a, Y P ro ^ ucec f be thin, maggoty, and flavourless. Nor is this 
difficulty easily obviated in all cases. Those who have the com¬ 
mand of cool cellars or other underground chambers, and these are 
few and far between, can and do succeed in maintaining a supply 
throughout the summer, and occasionally instances are met with 
of ridge-shaped beds being formed under trees where the tempera¬ 
tures are never high, and these being kept sufficiently moist and 
heavily mulched produce the much needed and fairly remunerative 
supply of Mushrooms till such times as the beds formed in July 
are coming into good bearing order. 
It is my belief, however, that not a few beds in ordinary Mush¬ 
room houses and sheds are discarded too quickly, a partial break¬ 
down being understood as a complete collapse. When the beds 
become dust dry, as they very quickly do towards midsummer, 
the surroundings also being comparatively hot and dry, it is small 
wonder that what few Mushrooms put in appearance are of little 
worth ; the su r prise would be if the opposite prevailed. In all 
probability there are many hundred beds lying almost forgotten' 
in various positions that are as full of spawn as they can well be,, 
and only require restoring to a moister, slowly decajing state to¬ 
rn ake them as productive, or perhaps more so, than formerly^ 
What they should have, therefore, is a gradual yet thorough 
soaking of soft water, or better still freely diluted farmyard liquid 
manure ; the next best thing being water well impregnated with 
salt, the latter being used at the rate of 4 oas. to every 3-gallon 
cm of water. The first watering will not make much impression 1 
on a thoroughly dry bed, and in most cases at least three liberal 
applications, extending over as many days, are needed to well 
moisten the manure throughout the bed, the liquid manure or 
salt being given at the last watering. Then should follow a heavy 
mulching of strawy litter, or otherwise the beds soon become dry 
again. The walls and floors ought also to be frequently syringed' 
or damped down, so as to keep them as cool and moist as possible. 
Woodlice are particularly troublesome at this time of year, and in 
many places eat the young Mushrooms as fast as they appear. In 
all such cases the outer edges of the beds, or all abutting against 
either walls or boards, should be well saturated with boiling hot 
water, this destroying woodlice more surely than anything else L 
have ever tried. All other crevices and dry corners ought also to 
be similarly treated, and what insects escape may be trapped in 
flower pots, in which sliced potatoes and dry moss has been placed. 
If the Mushrooms are twisted out of the beds when not more 
than half grown there will be few or no complaints of their being 
maggoty. 
As before hinted, high temperatures and a dry atmosphere must 
be guarded against, and with the thermometer standing at 80° in 
the shade it is no easy matter to keep a Mushroom house cool. 
The best form of houses are those with the thatched roofs and' 
walls, these never becoming either very hot or very cold. If the- 
roofs are slated and exposed to the sunshine during the hottest 
part of the day, keeping down the temperature is almost an 
impossibility, though much might be done in the way of white¬ 
washing or temporarily shading them. The warm air ought to be 
as rigorously excluded as are the colder winter winds, and the 
better to accomplish this the doors, windows, and crevices, if any, 
should be kept closely blocked up, more especially during the 
day time. The nights being very much cooler, the doors might 
with advantage be opened, taking care to close them as early as 
possible every morning. If these precautions are taken the 
chances are a very serviceable lot of Mushrooms will very probably 
result. 
In order to have plenty of Mushrooms, or at any rate to be 
independent of the uncertain supply from the open fields, a fresh 
bed ought to be formed towards the end of July, that being a good 
time to make a start with ridge-shaped, open-air beds. Should the 
weather be ordinarily hot and dry, extra pains must be taken in 
preparing the materials, and more especially in preventing them 
from heating dry. They ought not to be thrown into a large heap 
and there allowed to attain a white heat, but would be better kept 
in a more shallow square heap, and be turned inside out about every 
three days, being gently watered each time. This being carried 
out for the best part of three weeks, all rank gases and violent heat 
will be got rid of, and the manure being in a moist, not saturated 
state, when the bed is formed, the decay will be steady and certain, 
and the heat generated quite strong enough to run the spawn. 
When the droppings are badly prepared, or are at all raw, they 
will, when made into a bed, heat violently for a few days, and then 
collapse, the centre becoming dry and musty, and altogether unfit 
for the propagation of Mushrooms. The materials for ridge-shaped 
beds require especially to be well prepared, as in this case there is a 
greater depth of manure pressed together, the heat being much 
more violent accordingly. Naturally the spawn runs more rapidly, 
and the beds are more quickly productive when the temperature of 
newly spawned beds stands for several dajs at or about 85°, but 
there are greater risks to be run than is the case when the heat 
keeps nearer 70° ; and these comparatively cool beds, if they are 
not unduly interfered with in the shape of waterings, the usual, 
yet most unwise proceeding of many impatient cultivators, will 
eventually produce extra good crops of superior Mushrooms. The 
plan of mixing fresh loam with the droppings, at the rate of one 
part of the former to two of the latter, is a good one, as it has 
a moderating effect upon the heating of the manure without 
impairing the productiveness of the bed. It is not advisable 
to mix the loam with the droppings till the latter have had a 
fortnight’s preparation.—W. Iggulden. 
