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Ootobeti 20. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 47 
a kind, as to heat gently, and that turned occasionally, 
would do best, adding the other two kinds of dung named 
above as early as convenient; and when the whole is 
blended, it is better not to add any more fresh dung, for 
that would keep in agitation the boating properties 
until the whole was exhausted, without being productive 
of good. 
Now, though we have said the dung, as it is made, 
ought to be laid in a shed, yet we by no means recom¬ 
mend that shed to be a close one, otherwise the dung 
would be likely to heat too much, and become insupport¬ 
able ; any open-sided shed will do; or, in line weather, 
the whole may be done out-of-doors; a large tree is 
not a bad thing to form a canopy over the operation, the 
great point being to get the dung sweetened and pre¬ 
pared without its being exhausted by the overheating 
which neglect so often occasions, on the one hand; or 
that long preparation which it is sometimes subjected 
to when new made dung is added daily to the stock from 
the stable; the latter mode keeping the mass too long 
in the process of preparation. We may, however, 
•observe, that a little straw, or other litter, is not 
objectionable, and certainly need not all be taken out 
when the mass is in making; or if so, some may be 
added for use Do not think that it is useless; on the 
contrary, we think it will tend to lighten and check 
that consolidation which a mass of dung only is sure to 
fall into ; and that it is not without its uses, is evinced 
by the crops of Mushrooms which are occasionally to be 
met with when only tree-leaves, a little spent dung, or 
litter, has been mixed together to make up a hotbed. 
Here, it is evident that the roots of the Mushroom had 
found a congenial spot for their ramification, and their 
success was to be according; however, as it seldom 
happens that any one agent performs the whole part of 
a fertiliser, or the reverse, we will admit, that when a 
little spawn had been put on a newly-made-up Melon 
bed, or rather the heating material which formed it, and 
a good crop ensued, the result was owing to various 
causes, rather than to one; for the wisest of us are 
liable to err, and we are but too prone to give the credit, 
or blame, in accordance with our prejudices, or, what is 
equally the samo thing, in accordance with our want of 
judgment on the subject. 
Much may be done to render the success of Mush¬ 
rooms more certain ; good dung, carefully prepared, and 
put away in a careful manner, and beds made up when 
it was ready, and not till then, and spawn of a fresh 
and good kind put in a few days after, and the whole 
kept by covering, or otherwise, in that uniform state of 
genial warmth of about (50° or 65°, the likelihood is that 
Mushrooms will be produced with as much certainty of 
success as that Peas, Cauliflowers, &c., will follow the 
usual sowing, or planting of these things. Now, to 
obtain this end with but humble means, let us see how 
it is to be attained. 
In the first place, I may say here, that a house heated 
by fire, or other artificial means, is not absolutely 
necessary to success, though such an auxiliary contri¬ 
butes much to it. An old shed, open at a side, or some 
portion of the tool shed, or other enclosed place, will do 
very well; or it may be, some corner near the fire-place, 
or “ stock hole,” which supplies heat to the “ forcing 
house, Ac.” might be appropriated to this purpose ; in 
this respect, it is not necessary that the bed should be 
made over any part of the heated surface, which would, 
in fact, be injurious rather than otherwise; but in such 
a place the atmosphere is generally warmed a little, 
quite sufficient to serve the purpose of producing Mush¬ 
rooms, for I have seen them do very well in a bod out- 
of-doors, with no shelter whatever, except the covering 
of straw and litter which was thrown over them, and yet 
Mushrooms in abundance were gathered about February, 
and after, from a bed made in November; in fact, the 
conditions necessary to the well-being of Mushrooms 
differ so much from that of many things else, that we 
hardly know how far to class them in the same con¬ 
ditions; for while most vegetation which contributes to 
the necessities or luxuries of the human race seems to 
delight in an atmosphere healthy and unpolluted, the 
fungus tribe, to which this belongs, prefer a more vitiated 
air; and though the Mushroom is seldom found growing 
spontaneously in damp and unwholesome cellars, yet, 
when the necessary food for it is placed there, it thrives 
quite as well, and perhaps better than in well-ventilated 
apartments; a dry air is the most baneful to it, while 
excess of moisture is also fatal to those fine fibrous 
substances we call spawn, which intersects the dung, or 
compost, from which it withdraws its support. 
J. Robson. 
(To be continued.) 
CULTIVATION OF WHEAT UPON HEAVY 
LAND. 
( Continued from Vol. x., page 502. ) 
I am aware that some farmers object to the mode of 
sowing Wheat out of Clover lea upon clay soils; and 
I have often observed that it has not succeeded well; 
but I am satisfied that any cases of failure may be 
traced to a want of proper management of the land; 
and if the foregoing system of management be rigidly 
adhered to, that more grain will be produced, upon an 
average of seasons, upon this soil, when sown out of 
lea, than when sown after a fallow, or green crop. 
In support of this opinion, I must observe, that I 
have invariably found lea Wheat much less liable to 
be lodged, or blighted, and particularly in the case of 
high farming, when the land is brought into a state of 
great fertility.; that it is the only plan by which full 
crops can be produced; for although much larger crops 
of them may be grown after a fallow or green crop 
preparation, yet the superabundance of straw greatly 
endangers the crop, and renders the profitable yield of 
grain much more precarious. 
The next mode of preparation to which I must allude, 
is that required after a crop of winter Beans, which is 
one of the crops preceding Wheat, standing sixth and 
last in the rotation before referred to. 
As soon as the winter Beans are cut (when the 
weather is fine), the tillage of the land may be com¬ 
menced and proceeded with advantageously some con¬ 
siderable time before the Beans are fit to carry to the 
stack. 
Let the Beans be placed in lioiles or shocks, in straight 
lines, at a good distance apart, by setting up the produce 
of four or five ridges upon one ; this will give space for 
working four-fifths of the land; and, indeed, the whole of 
the land may be partly cleaned beforo the crop is re¬ 
moved, if the shocks are shifted on to the part which 
has been previously worked. 
The first thing to be done, as soon as the Beans are 
cut, is to use the scarifier at a moderate depth, just 
sufficient to cut up the weeds or grass which may be 
left amongst the crop, and, except in very unfavourable 
seasons, no great quantity of grass or weeds will be 
