12 
THE FLORIST AND P0M0L0GIST. 
[ January, 
during the past season, and tliat more particularly in regard to Vegetable 
culture. In indifferently cultivated and bad soils the crops have, in the majority 
of instances, been extremely meagre, if not indeed deficient of all real merit; 
whilst such as have been trenched, manured, and cultivated—as cultivation should 
be understood—have u given forth their increase,” and stood the drought and the 
all-powerful aridity with an immunity that has been remarkable. I have person¬ 
ally gained, during this period, many valuable lessons—more than could have 
fallen to the lot of all, from the simple fact that I had left a garden, that I had 
trenched and manured to the depth of an ordinary man’s stature, and brought it 
to such a tilth that irregularities of weather had little effect on it; hence I knew 
something of the powerful effects of deep culture. This knowledge has, however, 
been increased by my present and newer experience in this my present field of 
experiments, in an eastern county, where unfortunately we have the minimum 
rainfall of this country, with perhaps the greater degree of sun-heat. I say, 
therefore, that those who would succeed in Vegetable-culture must spare not the 
spade, the pickaxe, or the muck-heap ; nor must they dally with the undertaking, 
as the sooner the work of trenching, digging, and manuring is completed, after 
the fall of the leaf, so much the better. There is no risk of a loss of force in 
the case of any description of soil. If it be heavy, the beneficial influences of the 
winter’s frosts and more penetrative air will exert the more power over it—its 
power of conserving such manure as is placed in its keeping being proverbial. If 
the soil be light, independent of the advantages derived from frost influences and 
the freer ingress of air into bare soils newly broken up, more time will be given 
to it to absorb the full benefits of the winter rains, and to settle down, and attain 
such mechanical solidity as is necessary in the case of all light soils to 
enable them to sustain a healthy vegetation. Above and beyond all this, the for¬ 
warding of all such work has an important bearing on the future. 
Successional crops of SeaJcale and Rhubarb must be insured by periodically 
transferring the pots and covering materials from those crowns which are used, 
to other fresh ones, adding more fermenting materials, with the view of freshening 
up the old, and maintaining the necessary heat. Mushrooms , which should now 
be freely produced, will need an uniform artificial warmth, between 58° and 75°, 
according to the state of growth of the several crops, and the advanced stage or 
otherwise of the successional beds. If the crop is abundant maintain the former, 
or lower heat, and do not hasten their growth; while, if the supply is limited, 
urge the beds forward with the greater heat. Prepare fermenting materials, con¬ 
sisting of good Oak-tree leaves and wheaten-straw stable-litter, if possible, as 
being the best and most lasting (or that which is most like it) by mixing them 
well together, and turning them over as frequently as they become well heated, 
in order to sweeten the materials, and to bring them into a condition fit for 
making hot-beds as soon as possible, for the growth of Cucumbers and Melons , 
or where better means exist for these purposes, for the growth of other necessary 
crops. Bring all permanent work, such as the planting of Box-edgings, laying 
edging-stones, walk-formation, and such like operations, to a close as quickly as 
possible.— William Earley, Valentines. 
EUCHARIS AMAZONICA. 
HERE is perhaps no one place where this plant has been largely grown for so 
long a period, and at one time in such a quantity, as here. Still, with all 
our practice, I seek information respecting it. For example, can any one 
point out from experience how to treat the plant, so as to have it in 
