October 12, 1895. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
89 
Neglected Industries.—A correspondent in The 
Echo says he can endorse every line of an article in 
respect to Mushrooms. Seventy years ago his father 
had his Mushroom bed in the heart of Belgravia. It 
was a little mound, costing a trifle for manure 
brought from a neighbouring mews; and this minia¬ 
ture mountain was covered with straw. Mushroom 
spawn had been bought in Covent Garden Market 
and it fructified amazingly. When quite a chick he 
used to trot out with his dear old dad to gather 
Mushrooms for breakfast. The vision of the pearly- 
white mites unfolded on removing the covering of 
straw has been imaged on his mind from that day 
to this, and he is certain that if Mushroom culture 
were carried out on rational principles it would pay. 
In Paris Mushrooms are grown in the old disused 
quarries, whence stone was abstracted for building 
ages ago. 
“BIOLOGY NOTES.” 
The above is the title of a monthly periodical 
issued by the Essex County Council for the benefit 
of the various students and others in the county. 
The title at first sight would lead one to suppose 
that is purely a scientific publication, but it really 
contains a vast amount of information on all sorts 
of subjects relating to agriculture, horticulture, and 
natural history generally. The September number 
is particularly varied in this respect. It is largely 
devoted to the publication of the teaching arrange¬ 
ments of the ensuing session, and the syllabuses of 
the various classes to be held throughout the county. 
The hints and instructions tendered with regard to 
the South Kensington, Royal Horticultural, and 
County Council Examinations will be useful to all 
intending students. It may here be stated that the 
periodical under notice is issued to the students free 
of charge. Home-study exercises are also included 
in each issue, so that horticultural students may 
improve their time in their own homes. 
Both plants and animals are included in the 
courses of instruction in biology, so as to cover the 
various branches of rural industry in which those 
subjects are concerned. The science and practice 
that underlie horticulture are amply dealt with, and 
illustrated with numerous woodcuts. The syllabus 
of lectures and practical work relating to plant life 
begins at the root of the matter by illustrating the 
embryo plant while yet in seed. If information of 
this kind were more widely disseminated amongst all 
classes of 'people who undertake the growth of 
plants either for pleasure, profit, or from necessity, 
there would be far fewer failures in the raising of 
seedlings, and treating them properly in their earlier 
stages. That the why and the wherefore of every¬ 
thing connected with the plant from the seedling to 
the adult should be known to the cultivator hardly 
admits of a doubt. 
Some useful experiments are illustrated, as well as 
the nodules on the roots of leguminous plants, 
through the instrumentality of which, and their con¬ 
tained micro-organisms, the members of the Pea 
family are enabled to obtain nitrogenous compounds 
that other plants cannot. Some home-study exercises 
relating to kitchen garden plants are issued with 
this number, and are followed by the practical 
lessons of the last three demonstrations given at the 
Summer School of Horticulture in July last. 
—--- 
WORM-EATING SLUGS. 
The illustration gives several views and enlarged 
figures of one of our British worm-eating slugs, 
which are peculiarly modified to enable them to 
make their way along the burrows of their prey, and 
to seize and swallow the latter when an opportunity 
presents itself. It will be noticed that these creatures 
are not altogether naked, but possess a tiny vestigial 
shell on the hinder end of the body, which serves to 
protect from injury the heart and breathing organs 
of the animal. The method by which the prey is 
captured is shown in figures 3 and 4. Upon a 
stimulus, such as the touch of a worm's head in 
nature, or of a paint brush in captivity, being 
applied to the tenacles of the slug, the latter retracts 
its body, and if such a stimulus be continued, a 
tongue-like organ covered with barbed “ teeth ” is 
shot out suddenly from the mouth. The tongue, or 
radula as it is termed, is approximately spoon-shaped, 
and as it comes to the point of its fullest extension 
the edges close together somewhat inwards (calling 
to mind the jaws of a spring-trap), securely holding 
the head of any worm with its reach. 
In recent years the species shown in the figure has 
been proved to be distinct from Testacella halio- 
tidea, and so the records of the places where the 
latter has been found are hardly trustworthy now, as 
the animals collected might just as well have be¬ 
longed to the former kind as not. These slugs come 
above ground in the spring and autumn, hiding by 
day under stones and tree trunks that may be lying 
about in places where the soil is rich and full of 
earth worms, as in market gardens. The present 
month is a very good one for collecting Testacellae, 
and the writer takes this opportunity of asking any 
readers of The Gardening World who may 
chance upon specimens of the slugs to kindly 
forward them to him (at the address given below), 
in a living state, preferably, or preserved in alcohol. 
— Wilfred Mark Webb, F.L.S., Editor of the “ Journal 
of Malacology," Hohnesdale, Brentwood, Essex. 
Testacella scutuhim, Sowerby.—i. Seen from above.—2. 
From the right side.—3. Contracted and with the radula 
protruded.—3a. The radula from above, enlarged.—4. As 3, 
but the radula has an earth-worm in its grip.—4a. Radula 
seen from the right side, enlarged.—5. Enveloping the 
worm.—6, 6a and 6b. "Teeth "from the radula, isolated and 
enlarged. 
[The illustration was kindly lent by the Editor of 
the Esscy Naturalist .] 
THE OLD NURSERIES, MAIDSTONE. 
Messrs. Geo. Bunyard & Co. are best known to 
our readers as fruit growers, but we had ample 
proof recently, on visiting Maidstone, that they do a 
large trade in plants of a very varied assortment and 
also in seeds. The fruit nurseries, which we reported 
a short time ago, are situated at Allington ; but the 
Old Nurseries are in Maidstone itself and number 
something like a dozen, all within a few hundred 
yards of the South Eastern Railway Station. 
Several of them have been formed by the cutting up 
of the original nursery to form new streets and 
build upon portions of the ground. Notwithstanding 
this they are all within easy reach of the fine suite 
of offices looking down the main thoroughfare to 
Maidstone Bridge, and offer no inconvenience in 
working. 
St. Peter’s Nursery. 
Here we noted a large number of annuals in full 
bloom including Scabious, striped French Marigolds, 
and the orange and lemon strains of the so-called 
African species, all in fine condition. Amongst the 
Scabious we noted a new yellow variety of great 
promise and intermediate between Scabosa atropur- 
purea nana and a large, soft yellow variety. As we 
passed along we noticed Roses on a north aspect 
wall flowering away freely. A large plantation of 
numerous varieties of Montbretia was very interest¬ 
ing. The orange M. crocosmiaeflora was very 
floriferous, as was the golden M. c. aurea. The 
flowers of Bouquet Parfait are brilliant scarlet, while 
those of Pyramidalis are bright yellow, and of Grebe 
d’Or, clear yellow. The quantity of flowers which 
may be used for cutting is very great. Very durable 
are the rosy, fringed and fragrant flowers of the 
Clove Pink, even in the cut state. La Neige is a 
white sort very useful for forcing, and Mrs. Welsh 
is another useful variety. Carnations are grown in 
quantity and the rose-coloured Feodora produces 
stems 2 ft. long and therefore useful for cutting. 
Here also is a collection of greenhouse Rhododen¬ 
drons represented by such fine things as Princess 
Alice, Lady Fitzwilliam, the best white variety, and 
others. Something like 1,000 Arums are grown in 
pots. Cinerarias occupy the frames. A fine 
standard tree of Shepherd’s Bullace was loaded with 
fruit when we saw it. 
In one of the hothouses we noted Blendworth Per¬ 
fection Cucumber, a sort of Improved Telegraph. 
It had been very prolific from May to September 
and was still bearing heavily when we saw it. In a 
cold vinery we noted fine crops of Appley Towers 
and Gros Colman Grapes ; the berries of the former 
take on a fine blue tint like those of Alicante. At 
one end of the house was a collection of Cannas. 
Another house close by is devoted to the cultivation 
of Palms, including Phoenix reclinata, P. tenuis, and 
others. Tomato The Conference is highly esteemed 
and largely grown under glass for the production of 
seed. We can testify that it is a robust and heavy¬ 
bearing sort carrying fruit of a useful and medium size. 
Cordyline australis is grown in some quantity. 
Chrysanthemums are grown in quantity for cut 
flowers, and Pelargoniums for bedding purposes. 
Centaurea suaveolens or Yellow Sultan is useful 
for cut flowers. 
Cedar Nursery. 
A collection of Indian Azalias in pots for forcing 
was still in their summer quarters outside. Chinese 
Primulas are grown in quantity, and amongst them 
we noted The Bride, a dark-stemmed white variety 
of great value. These are in frames, but several of 
the houses are occupied with Ferns, Poinsettias, a 
good strain of Cyclamens, and Selaginellas. Maiden¬ 
hair Ferns are grown in some quantity, including 
Adiantum cuneatum, A. mundulum, useful for bou¬ 
quet work, A. Pacotti, A. scutum, A. fragrantissi- 
mum and various others. The last-named is very 
useful for the making of large wreaths, &c. Sela- 
ginella emiliana is a dwarf and pretty plant for 
decorative work in pots. On the roof of the fernery 
a large specimen of Schubertia grandiflora flowers 
very freely, and its flowers, which have the fragrance 
of Stephanotis, last a long time in the cut state, and 
are therefore useful in the making of wreaths. 
Tuberoses and Chrysanthemum Madame Desgranges 
fill another house. The old double white Chinese 
Primula is still a great and useful favourite here. 
Standing outside is a large and varied collection 
of Fuchsias, including many of the best and most 
useful sorts. Countess of Mount Edgcumbe has 
white sepals, a red corolla, and is certainly pretty. 
One house contains a large display of Bouvardias in 
full bloom. Very choice is President Cleveland, 
scarlet ; Dazzle, rose ; Alfred Neuner, double white ; 
President Garfield, double pink ; the old white 
Vreelandii, still one of the best af its colour ; Queen 
of Roses, large rose ; Humboldti, with its massive 
fragrant white flowers ; and Candidissima, a most 
useful variety with smaller, but more numerous and 
equally fragrant, pure white flowers. Elsewhere 
some white Pelargoniums were very noticeable. 
Begonia semperflorens coccinea is valuable for its 
richly coloured flowers, but B. s. aurea with its pink- 
edged white flowers, is notable for the yellow hue of 
its foliage. On a wall outside we noted a highly 
ornamental Jasmine in Jasminum officinale major, 
having larger white flowers than the common one. 
Liliums and tuberous Begonias have flowered well 
in the conservatory. 
Vines in all stages of development and age are 
cultivated in different houses. In one place we 
noted young pot vines of the second and third sizes as 
they are termed. Elsewhere is a houseful of fruiting 
plants, bearing in some instances as many as fourteen 
bunches of fruit each. Then we came to a vinery of 
established plants in full bearing, and were particu¬ 
larly attracted with Diamant Traube, a handsome 
greenish-yellow Grape of rich flavour and the best of 
the Sweetwater section. The vine is of robust 
growth, and the flesh of the berries firm, sweet and 
pleasing to the palate. 
