392 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, September 21, 1858. 
telling liow well they keep. Our readers heard the 
good opinion of Air. Fish on this most excellent Grape; 
and there was a ivhite Black Hamburgh Sweetwater 
Grape, called Buckland's Sweetwater, from Air. I very. 
It looks exactly like a Black Hamburgh, but white ; 
and, at the risk of being locked up for the night, I 
picked a tasting, and 1 found it was really a new 
Sweetwater Grape, a G-lout Morceau of a thing. Aiy 
own puzzler Grape at home proves exactly the same 
experiment as last year ; and next year, if I live, I shall 
challenge England, and Air. Rivers, to produce such 
another. 
The Peach and other Fruit Trees were from the 
orchard houses of the Aiessrs. Lane and Lee. The 
Shanghai Peach, in Air. Lane’s, was the most remark¬ 
able,—a large, plain, dull, yellow fruit, with, a deep 
furrow all round it. Air. Page, gardener to AY. Leaf, 
Esq., Streatham, had four Black Grapes, in pots, 
trained after Air. Yeitch’s fashion, the bunches hang¬ 
ing down under the parasol, and all the leaves just over 
them. This is by far the prettiest way of training 
them, to stand on the dessert or side table. 
D. Beaton. 
AiUSHROOAI CULTURE SIAiPLIFIED. 
I propose to give here directions of the most simple 
kind, adapted to all who possess a shed, stable, or out¬ 
house of any kind. They will be founded on the well- 
known general habits of this singular vegetable. As 
for gardeners, they seldom need such directions. I 
am doing this in consequence of several applications 
I have had from persons ignorant of general gardening. 
But, in truth, the same conditions are requisite to the 
successful culture of the Alushroom everywhere. 
The first thing to chat about is situation. AYe all 
know that they are produced abundantly in the open 
fields ; and, before we enter upon the question of arti¬ 
ficial culture, it will be well to inquire into the con¬ 
dition by which they are produced in such situations. 
It will be found that rich soils, which have been long 
under a pasturage system, are eminently productive 
of them ; the plough may, therefore, be considered an 
enemy. The old pasture lands of Cheshire are noted 
for them; and a dry ATay or June is almost sure to 
be succeeded by a plentiful crop. In cow pastures 
this may be noticed especially, and the reason I take 
to be as follows :—The cowdung becoming encrusted, 
forms a kind of macintosh coating, and this, excluding 
the rain, the spawn has every chance of being propa¬ 
gated under the condition it loves,—which is a tole¬ 
rably dry one. AYe come now to situation ; and I 
must, once for all, say, that anywhere in-doors, where 
the temperature never exceeds 75°, or fails down to 10° 
of frost, is eligible; and if rather damp, so much the 
better. 
Darkness is also an advantage, as they are averse to 
a strong light; and, moreover, are whiter, and are 
preserved longer under these conditions. A shed, a 
cellar, a stable, a cowhouse, a barn, a factory building, 
or anything of the kind is eligible. 
And as to floe form of the bed, it is almost immaterial; 
they will grow in a garden pot, or even out of a hollow 
in a wall, boxes, &c., or might be done on the blacking- 
bottle and old-kettle system. 
But as to beds, it is well to observe, that much 
danger exists of overheating; and it is safe to advise 
the amateur not to place the dung above nine inches 
in depth in any one part. In general, they may be 
made fiat, as being by far the safest course. 
The material comes next; and here we have nothing 
better than horsedung, fresh as possible from the 
stable door.. This should be obtained before much 
rain falls on it, and be kept afterwards where it will be 
safe from rains. The best plan is to obtain it weeks 
before wanted, and to spread it where it will gradually 
dry. In obtaining it, a little of the freshest strawy 
litter may be shaken out, but by no means too much. 
In any outhouse or stables it may be placed, and, 
i being turned once, it will soon be ready for making 
into a bed. But we may find Alushrooms springing 
out of such materials as old thatch, when in a proper 
condition; they, however, do not long continue to 
produce. 
Now we come to the making of beds. Such consists 
in simply treading or beating the dung as firm as 
possible : it cannot be made too firm or close. The 
depth I spoke of before. In any side of a stable, shed, 
or cellar, at liberty, it may be made, from two or three 
feet in width ; or more or less, according to the space 
available. AYhen made, it may remain for a week, to 
observe how it heats ; for it may heat too much. The 
most desirable temperature at which to introduce the 
spawn is from 70° to 75°,—higher it must not be. 
But a bed of nine inches in depth, made of fresh dung, 
will probably rise to 80°, after being built a few days \ 
it will thus remain about stationary, and then begin 
to descend. Therefore, with a beginner, a thermometer 
is necessary. Practical gardeners, however, only use 
a few trial sticks, thrust in: these they feel daily. 
In spawning the bed, it is simply necessary to make 
a tew little holes a foot apart, and press in a lump of 
good spawn as large as a small Potato. The bed may 
now remain for two or three days, to ensure safety 
from overheating ; it may then be covered with soil 
two inches in thickness, well beat down. It is well to 
coyer it immediately with warm litter, four inches in 
thickness. This helps the working of the spawn, and 
preserves the surface moist. 
I may now offer a few remarks on spawn making. 
Take the following recipeHalf a bushel of good 
spawn will be enough for most amateurs ; but, as there 
will be a waste in the making, take one peck of horse- 
droppings, one peck of cowdung, one peck of ordinary 
garden soil, and one peck of road scrapings. Knead 
them, by well mixing, treading, and thumping, and 
adding water until they are one uniform mass. Spread 
this material in a shed three inches in thickness; 
making the surface smooth. And now let the mass 
lay until it becomes firm enough to cut into “ bricks 
the cakes of spawn are thus called, for they are gene¬ 
rally the size of a common brick. AYhen they are 
thus cut, they must be placed on edge to dry a little, 
and, when about half dry, must be impregnated with 
good spawn, already perfect. A small hole, as large as 
the top of a good-sized thumb, is made at each end of 
the brick, and little lumps of the real spawn crammed 
tight in. The bricks may now be piled in a heap in 
any warm corner in-doors ; a temperature ranging 
from 00 to 70 will be right. It is generally covered 
up with an old mat or rug. 
Good spawn must be well distinguished from bad; 
the latter is full of threads, like white roots ; the 
former has a web so fine, that it sometimes requires a 
good eye to detect it. The former, in fact, may have 
been good, but has gone into the last stage,—that of 
producing, or having produced, Alushrooms; it is 
exhausted, or ready to become so. 
I hope that these simple directions and explanations 
may be understood, and may prove serviceable. 
Although the description appears long, it will be 
found on examination that only a few points require 
to be carefully attended to. R. Errinoton. 
A “Bee Train” Collision. —As the brown heather is 
now in full bloom, clothing the moors with beauty, and in¬ 
viting the busy bees to enjoy its sweets, several parties from 
