August 7. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
341 
Erica aniens. July, August, and Sept. 
„ aristata major. July and August. 
„ assurgens. August and September. 
„ capitata. July, August, and Sept. 
„ conferta. August and Sept. 
„ Ewerana. July, August, and Sept. 
„ gemmifera. July and August. 
„ Hurtnelli. July, August, and Sept. 
„ Juliana. July and August. 
: j July, August, and sept. 
„ Lambertiana. July, August, and Sept. 
„ mutabilis. July, August, and Sept. 
„ ramentcicea. July, August, and Sept. 
„ relorta. July, August, and Sept. 
„ Taxifolia. July, August, and Sept. 
„ verticillata. July, August, and Sept. 
These will come in just after the July shows, and continue, 
under good treatment, to flower to past the middle of Sep¬ 
tember. Every one of them ought to be in bloom every day 
in August, and they are the very best for depending on. 
Give the list to your nurseryman, and ask him for C, 10, 12, 
15, or the whole lot of them; and to make any of the lots 
as varied as his stock will allow. We vouch for it, that this 
score of Heaths will give the best idea of the whole family, 
out of eighty or ninety sorts, which flower during these 
months. If you are smart at growing Heaths, you ought to 
have some of the many line Veslita breed, with Cerinthoides 
and some of the tricolors and Massoni ; but there is a few 
of the above, such as Aristata and Juliana, are ticklish 
things, but many people grow them most handsomely. 
About other Greenhouse Plants to flower in August, we must 
not mention Epacris of any sort, and very few indeed of the 
real liard-wooded, fine-flowering greenhouse plants. The 
following sections we draw on for August flowers: — 
Gloxinias, Achimenes, Yincas, Clerodendrons, Gardenias, 
Lantanas, Begonias, Hibiscus, Justicea carnea, Plumbago 
capensis, Diplacus grandiflorus or Californicus, Calosanths 
or Crassulas, Hermiandra pungens, Pentas carnea and rosea, 
Torrenia asiatica, Crowea saligna, Sollya linearis, and 
heteroptylla, Statice latifolia, Maudevillea; all the dwarf 
varieties of Maranta ornata, as lineata rosea, albalineata, 
and vittata sanguinea ; also Aclmiea fulgens and discolor, 
Vriesia speciosa, alias Telandsia splendens, Aphelandra 
squarrosa, Porteana and Leopoldi, the Scarlet and White 
berried Ardesia crenulata, Stylidium scandens, Pelargoniums, 
Fuchsias, Balsams, Coxcombs, Impatiens latifolia and alba, 
and Hookeri. Out of all this host there are only three 
greenhouse plants which we would show in a collection of 
“ greenhouse plants ”—Crowea saligna, and the two Sollyas.] 
GROWING MUSHROOMS IN A VINERY.— 
PELARGONIUMS NOT BLOOMING. 
“ I want to grow Mushrooms in the centre pit of the Vinery, 
which is filled with tan. I should be very glad of a little 
information as to the getting the spawn, and the general 
management of them, so as to get Mushrooms in winter. 
“ My Pelargoniums have not bloomed well this year. I 
fear I have not used the right soil for them. I potted them 
in large pots the early part of December last. The soil was 
chiefly loam, with a little leaf-mould and a little scrapings 
from the road. I potted them in much larger pots than 
they were in before. Do you think they will bloom better 
next year in the same pots and soil? Or what is the best 
soil and treatment for them to bloom well? The enclosed 
leaves are from a seedling plant, which I should be glad of 
the name of. There are no flowers yet. — A Constant 
Reader.” 
[We do not know how large your pit-bed may be, nor 
the supply required; as sometimes we want to keep a 
number of plants in such places during the winter; whilst 
a Mushroom-bed might be made all along the front part 
of the pit, say a foot-and-a-half, or two feet, or even more, 
wide, where they would be readily looked at at any time, or to 
gather from when required. The best of directions have 
already been given in The Cottage Gardeners’ Dictionary 
for the preparation of the materials for making of Mushroom 
beds; but these should now be collected and well worked up 
to sweeten, so as to be ready for putting together towards 
the end of September, of course using principally horse- 
droppings to form the bed with. This should be made from 
a foot to fifteen inches thick, all along near the front or back 
wall of the pit, whichever is most convenient to get at. It 
should be built firm, and well spawned, and cased over with 
earth, as described in former volumes of this work. After the 
bed has been made for ten days, or a fortnight, or so, a light 
covering of mouldy hay might be placed over the bed, which 
would add to its moist warmth, in which the Mushroom 
delights. More covering should be added, according to the 
external temperature of the atmosphere, and precautions 
against its ever being wet. 
We cannot say why your Pelargoniums should not have 
flowered well. We see nothing in the soil or times of 
potting them if the drainage was good. Geraniums gene¬ 
rally do well in almost any good, rich, porous soil, and placed 
upon a stage, rather near the glass, in a good, open, airy 
greenhouse, where they can enjoy the benefit of the sun’s 
rays at all times. This is generally the season for cutting 
them down and putting in cuttings, «fcc.; and when they 
have again made fresh shoots to repot them carefully, 
shaking them out of their old soil, and potting them into 
smaller pots again for the winter months; and then, towards 
the end of January, or early in February, to shift them 
again into their flowering-pots, taking advantage of an open, 
fine day for doing such work, and keeping the house a little 
warm after the repotting for a week or so. Perhaps your 
pots were too large, and thus over-vigourous growth was 
caused. 
Your leaf appears to have been taken from an old hardy 
herbaceous plant called Si da napcea .] 
COVENT GARDEN.— August 0 . 
The supply of Fruit is on the increase. Apples have now 
made their appearance, and there is a good supply of Haw- 
thorndens, Devonshire Quarrendens, and Carlisle Codlins; 
they make 3s. Cd. per half-sieve. Cherries continue abun¬ 
dant, although the late severe rains have considerably 
damaged them; the sorts which are most plentiful are 
Bigarreaux and Black Coronne; and also a few Kentish. 
Gooseberries and Currants are abundant. There have been 
large arrivals of Apricots from the Continent, some of whic 
are now selling at Is. per dozen ; but the finest productions 
in that way are the Greengages , from Marseilles, which are 
packed in boxes, and are beautiful both in size, colour, and 
ripeness. They are brought all across France by rail, and 
appear as fresh as if they had been just gathered from the 
tree; they make 2s. per dozen. Peaches, Nectarines, Pine- 
Apples, and Grapes, continue plentiful at last weeks’ prices. 
Strawberries are now over, except a few straggling lots of 
British Queens, and some indifferent-looking Eltons. 
COVENT GARDEN. 
FRUIT. 
Apples, kitchen, 
per bushel .... — to — 
„ dessert, doz. — „ — 
Pears. — „ — 
Apricots, per doz.2s. „ 2s. 6d. 
Peaches, per doz. 8s. „ I5s. 
Nectarines, doz. 8s. „ 15s. 
Cherries, lb.2d. „ 6d. 
Plums .— „ — 
Pine-apples, lb... 3s. „ 6s. 
Grapes, lb. 3s. „ 6s. 
Melons, each.... 2s. „ fis. 
Riga . — » — 
Gooseberries, per 
quart. 2d. „ 4d. 
Currants . 4d. „ 6d. 
Raspberries .... 6d. „ 9d. 
Strawberries, per 
pottle.4d. „ Cd. 
Oranges, per 100 4s. „ 10s. 
Lemons, doz... Is- to is. Cd. 
Almonds, per lb.. 2s. „ — 
Nuts, Filberts, lb. — „ — 
„ Cobs, lb. .. — „ — 
„ Barcelona, 
per bushel.... 20s. „ 22s. 
„ Brazil, per 
bushel .12s. ,, 14s. 
Chestnuts . — „ — 
VEGETABLES. 
Cabbages, per doz. 9d. to Is. 
“ Red, per doz. 2s. „ 4s. 
Cauliflowers, doz. 2s. „ 3s. 
Brocoli .— „ — 
Savoys . — „ — 
Greens .— „ — 
Spinach, per sieve Is. „ 2s. 
Peas, per half sieve 
Is. 6d. „ 2s. 6d. 
Beans. — „ — 
French Beans, per 
quart.. 3d. „ 4d. 
Scarlet Runners — „ — 
