406 
Reviews and Extracts. — Horticulture, ^c. 
“The eavth should not exceed an inch and a half, nor be less than an inch in 
thickness, after it has been fully pressed down; it should be just moist enough to 
remain fixed, but not so moist as to stick to the hands.” 
“ As the moisture of the linings will enter the interior in the form of vapour, 
and condense against the roof, the beds must be protected from the droppings of 
wet which in this way will be produced. Mats must therefore be provided, and 
a stage for walking over the bed must be constructed. For this purpose let pieces 
of wood be fastened to the back wall and the front boarding; upon these lay other 
cross pieces at intervals, sufficiently close to support the mats, and of sufficient 
strength to allow of walking npon. These cross pieces should not touch the sur¬ 
face of the bed by about four inches. In three weeks after spawning, the Mush¬ 
rooms will sometimes appear. The mats must then be spread over the stage, so as 
to entirely cover the bed ; these mats may be doubled in severe weather, with ad¬ 
vantage. This covering will be found useful, not only by protecting the bed from 
the droppings of wet which fall from the roof, but it also serves to promote the 
growth of the Mushrooms, keeping up a more uniform heat and moisture, and 
preventing undue exhalation from the bed. The success of the crop now depends 
upon a heat of between 55 and 65 degrees, or when in full bearing, of 70 degrees, 
being kept up in the house, and by preventing the bed from becoming too dry.” 
The management of the house during the period of gathering the crop, con¬ 
sists in keeping up a uniform temperature, by occasionally adding fresh dung, 
leaves or grass, to the linings;—these should be turned and watered whenever they 
become too dry to produce the requisite heat; taking up decayed Mushrooms, re¬ 
moving mouldy or damp parts of the bed, paring off with a sharp knife, those parts 
of the surface where the Mushroonjs have been cut, laying cn a little fine dry 
mould, and filling up the cracks as .soon as they appear. 
3.—British B'armer’s Magazine. 
For November, 1831, contains 
A few Practical Hints on Pruning Forest and Hedge-row 7'imber Trees, addres¬ 
sed to Mr. Cokers Tenants, on the Holkham Audit-day, July 12, 1831. By 
Mr. Blaikie. 
‘‘When side-branches of thriving timber trees, not being of the Fir tribe, are 
cut oft’ close to their stems, the bark soon closes over the wounds, and too frequent¬ 
ly misleads injudicious pruners, who vainly imagine the stems or boles of such 
trees become perfect, and remain sound, after having been subjected to such 
barbarous treatment. Whereas, trees so mangled are in general totally spoiled, 
for the stumps of the close pruned branches, after being covered over with new 
bark and .sap wood, or as it has been called by the advocates of the measure, 
‘sealed up,’ invariably rot in a few years after the pruning operation, and com¬ 
municate the disease to the hearts of the trees. The marks of the saw, and cut 
of the bill-hook, are distinctly seen on the ends of the rotten stumps, ai»d clearly 
prove that the trees from which these specimens were taken, had been pruned 
artificially. 
“ No <inion or adhesion takes place between the stumps of pruned branches and 
the new wood which grows over them, at least, none such has been observed in 
any of the numerous specimens which have been inspected at Holkham. 
“Forest and hedge-row timber trees should not be pruned, in any case, where 
that practice can be beneficially dispensed with. Natural pruning is much pre- 
