THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Mabch 8, 1859. 
355 
three times afterwards, at an interval of two or three days, and 
then you may escape from this locust in diction. If you syringe 
between the smokings, or water should bo wanted, use the coldest 
you can get, if not below 38°; and give abundance of air when 
the fumes of the tobacco have escaped. Continue giving this 
abundance of air, and use cool water for watering; as the least 
coddling with warm water, or warm dry air, will bring back your 
green enemies again in myriads. It is very likely you owe your 
inlliction to warm air and warm water.] 
MUSHROOMS IN A CUCUMBER-HOUSE. 
“ In a Cueumber-liouse, I have got a narrow pit, or border, 
eighteen inches deep, eighteen inches wide, no bottom heat. 
Would you tell me if I could grow some Mushrooms in it, or 
what other things would grow, and how to grow them ?” 
[We have grown Mushrooms in houses of all kinds ; but with¬ 
out scheming, a Cucumber-house is most unsuitable for them. If 
the Cucumbers are long kinds, the temperature of the atmo¬ 
sphere necessary will be from G5° to 70°, even at night. The 
Mushrooms, as respects their atmospheric temperature, should 
seldom bo higher than from 55° to 60°, and a few degrees higher 
at the very most. It is not likely, unless in particular circum¬ 
stances, that Mushrooms and Cucumbers would thrive together. 
W e are quite at a loss to say what this narrow pit would be best 
for, unless we knew its position, and what was most required. If 
we had a section of the house, we might then judge. Our cor¬ 
respondent. writes as if we knew as much of the house as he does 
himself. With this information we will then do our best. To 
return to Mushrooms. We may mention we have grown them in 
all kinds of forcing-houses ; but then, when the heat of the atmo¬ 
sphere got high, they get thin and lean, unless care were taken to 
keep them cool by a thin covering of hajq or of moss, which, from 
being kept constantly moist, lowered the surface heat of the bed 
by evaporation. By this means we have sometimes had a supply, 
from a bod on the floor of a vinery, until they would come better in 
a shady place, in July and August, out of doors. Sometime ago, we 
were asked advice about a house that was arched most of its width 
in front, in order to support a platform for growing Cucumbers 
in the winter and spring months. A tank was placed on the top 
of these arches, so as to give bottom heat to the soil, and atmo¬ 
spheric heat to the house. The space behind these arches formed 
a good wide pathway. The Cucumbers covered the whole roof 
when in bearing. Each arch was shut in by a boarded shutter, 
in two pieces, that at the bottom to the depth of eighteen inches 
fixed ; that above, for two feet to the crown of the arch, moveable. 
Beneath these arches there was generally a difference of from 5° 
to 10° of temperature, and that in the air of the house at night, 
and much more during the day ; and there, with little trouble, 
Mushrooms came thick and fleshy; and Sea-kale and Rhubarb, 
and even Asparagus, forced beautifully in winter and early spring. 
The only thing required with the last, was the necessity of cutting 
it for several days before using, and placing the ends in tepid 
water, in the house, full in the light, that it might look green at 
table. If by such means, or from the bed being a long way from 
t he glass, and the possibility of keeping the surface cool, by a thin 
covering of a damp moss, Ihen our correspondent may try ; but 
even then, at this season of the year, when the sun gains so much 
power, we would much rather incline to make a bed in a shed, or 
out of doors, and secure warmth by covering.] 
STATICE IIOLFORDII CULTURE. 
“ * An Old Subscribed. ’ wishes to know the treatment of 
Slatice Holfordii. Her gardener has a young plant which has 
been through the winter at the warmest end of a greenhouse. Its 
leaves are drooping, and the newest leaves are of a pale buff 
colour. It is evidently in bad health. What is to be done?” 
[Most likely the reasons are, over-potting and a soured soil, 
arising from stagnant moisture, and more about the roots than 
they are able to use. Extra moisture and a soured soil, in such 
dull weather as we have passed through this winter, would be 
ruin to such a plant; as the leaves would receive little excitement 
to perspire, and so get rid of the redundant moisture. If any 
such symptoms exist, the worst leaves may be removed ; the soil 
carefully removed from the roots, which is best done by holding 
the ball in your hands in a pail of water, about 05°, and gently 
squeezing until all the eaith is removed. You can see then every 
root clearly; and if any are decayed, cut them away with a clean 
knife. Repot them into as small a pot as the roots can be put 
into, using a compost of about equal parts of flbry loam, fibry 
heath soil, sand, broken little bits of charcoal, and broken pots. 
Let this be in good potting order—neither wet nor dry. The 
roots from this process will be well charged with moisture, and, 
therefore, give little or no water at first. If the pot coidd be 
plunged in a temperature of from 65° to 70° for three weeks or so, 
the plant would root all the sooner. A little air must be given at 
the top, and the leaves gently dewed and shaded in sunshine; 
but little moisture given to the roots until fresh growth is com¬ 
mencing. When that is going on freely, the plant will want 
watering, and, ere long, repotting in similar material, with extra 
drainage; and, by-and-by, will stand the common treatment of 
the greenhouse ; care being taken to use pots rather under than 
over-sized, open compost, and careful watering, according to the 
weather and the state of the plant.] 
SOWING SEEDS OF SOME TENDER PLANTS. 
“ Will you give me a few hints relative to sowing and raising 
the following plants from seed :— Achimcnes, Ardisia crenulata, 
Gesnera elongata, Gloxinias , and Hibiscus Manihot ?”—II. S. 
[This will be mostly met by a recent article; but we will just 
glance at the plants mentioned. 
Achimenes. —Seeds small, vegetate best in a moist, sweet hotbed. 
Prepare seed-pans or pots with good drainage, and a fine surface 
over rougher compost; water, and allow all to drain for twenty- 
four hours ; smooth the surface ; sow ; scatter a thin covering, 
and press slightly again; cover with a square of glass, or a piece 
of paper, or both, until the seedlings appear ; when gradually 
expose to full light, and a little air, to prevent drawing ; and prick 
off as soon as you can catch them between the finger and the 
point of a small bodkin-like dibber. Use similar soil, and a 
similar position. If sown early, many will bloom the same 
season. If the roots of these are kept in any place free from frost, 
they may be excited early in heat in any placo, or may be started 
in May and Juno, in a cold pit, where the glasses are kept shut, 
to retain sun heat, and thus give them a vigorous start. The 
heat of such a place, with a fair amount of air, being warm 
enough for them in the summer months. So long as cither 
seedlings, or established plants, remain in a hotbed, care must be 
taken that the steam or heated moisture from such a bed, and the 
sun’s rays, never strike the plants at the same time, or scalded and 
curled leaves will be the consequence. Early air-giving, or early 
shading, or both, must, therefore, be had recourse to. 
Gesnera elongata, and Gloxinia, w ill do under precisely the 
same treatment. We have had beautiful Gloxinias in bloom in 
autumn from a spring sowing. The young leaves of these are also 
easily injured by steam from a hotbed, however sweet, unless air 
j is given early in the morning. In fact, it is safest to leave a little 
on constantly at t he top of the light. A little shade in bright 
sun will also be an advantage. 
Hibiscus Manihot. —Is easily raised in a hotbed, and the seed¬ 
lings should bo potted off when a few inches in height. Fibry loam, 
and a little peat, will grow it well. It wants abundance of water 
when growing, and very little when in a state of rest. If treated 
as an herbaceous plant, when the flowering is over, and the stems 
looking shabby, they may be cut pretty well down, and the 
plant kept out'of sight, until fresh growth commences; when it 
may be fresh potted, and given the advantage of full exposure to 
light. 
Ardisia crenulata. —If the pretty, crimson, cherry-like fruit, 
with all the flesh about them as you gather them, are sown in a 
pot of soil, and covered a quarter of an inch, and allowed to stand 
anywhere in heat, you will get plenty of young plants in time. 
If you would like to have the plants as soon as possible, place 
the berries in water, and wash off all the fleshy part from the 
stones. When clean, place them in water for twenty-four hours, 
at a temperature about 100°; then sow, and cover as above, and 
plunge the pot in a hotbed, and you will soon have nice stubby 
seedlings ; w hich should be pricked out, four or five round the 
sides of a four-inch pot, and kept in the same place. In a month 
or six weeks, each of these will want a pot for itself. Give the 
plants, when young, equal portions of fibry peat, loam, and 
sand; but, as they advance in years, let the fibry loam gradually 
preponderate, and the plants will be more stubby and more 
closely covered will: their insignificant flowers, followed by 
beautiful crimson fruit.] 
