820 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
August 29th, 1885. 
ORNAMENTAL GOURDS AT 
KEW. 
Amongst the interesting features of the gardens at 
Kew there is one of a somewhat novel description to 
be seen at the present time in the old Water Lily- 
house, namely, a collection of plants of the Gourd or 
Cucumber family in fruit. The members of this 
family are well-known climbing plants, with slender 
stems and fruit which are usually of an ornamental 
character. Familiar examples are the Cucumber, 
Melon, Pumpkin, and Vegetable Marrow, all of them 
interesting from a culinary standpoint, quite indepen¬ 
dent of their ornamental nature. The plants above- 
mentioned are trained on the sides and roof of the 
house, whence the variously-shaped fruit depend, and 
present quite an interesting spectacle. 
One of the most interesting of these is the Snake 
Gourd, whose slender fruit vary from 2 ft. to nearly 4ft. 
in length. They are dark green, with very light green 
stripes, but changing when ripe to a deep orange-red. 
Two other closely allied species may be seen with 
much shorter fruit, but very similar in colour. A 
large Pear-shaped Gourd, a foot long, bears the name 
of Lagenaria gigantea ; the fruits at present are pale 
green. The allied species,’ L. vulgaris, has smaller 
fruit, somewhat like a Cucumber in shape. The fruits 
of Momordica Charantia are of a highly curious 
character; they are somewhat egg-shaped and covered 
with short spines, they assume a bright orange colour 
in ripening, and the fruit splits into three valves, 
which turn backwards with the crimson seeds 
attached. Luffa cylindrica has fruits resembling a 
short, stout Cucumber, striped with pale and dark 
green, and L. vectens is of a somewhat similar 
character. 
A plant from the Island of New Guinea (without a 
name) has fruits of the size and shape of a swan’s 
egg, pale green with black dots, but when ripe they 
assume a deep orange colour. Another unnamed 
plant has large globose fruits like large Melons, 
which are variegated with light and dark green. A 
species of Abobra from Africa has fruits somewhat 
like a slender Vegetable Marrow with a swollen base; 
it is about 9 ins. long and covered with short hairs. 
Lastly, a few species of the useful genus Cueumis 
may be mentioned. A species labelled C. utilissimis 
has fruits like short, hairy Cucumbers; it hails 
from India. A wild variety of the Cucumber (C. 
sativus) is interesting to note; the fruits measure 
about 9 ins., and are proportionally much stouter 
than our familiar cultivated varieties. When ripe 
the colour is dull yellowish-brown. It was found in 
the Sikkim Himalayas. Two wild Indian varieties 
of the Melon (C. melo) bear small fruits of the usual 
shape and variegated with light and dark green. A 
third variety of the same species is named flexuosa, 
and has very remarkable fruits, more like a Cucumber 
than a Melon. They measure 2 ft. or more in length, 
the apex is a little swollen, but the base is much 
elongated and somewhat twisted—hence the name. It 
changes to pale yellow when ripe. The collection is 
well worthy of inspection. 
MUSHROOMS, EATABLE AND 
POISONOUS.—II. 
Agaeicus proceeus. —One of the most valuable and 
delicious of all fungi is Agarieus procerus, shown 
one-fifth real size in our illustration. The name 
procerus means “ tall.” It is pale brown all over, the 
hollow stem is furnished near the top with a ring, the 
base is bulbous, and the top is covered with brown 
scales. A section showing the nature of the scaly top, 
the peculiar attachment of the gills to the top—not 
touching the stem—and a section of the ring or collar 
is shown on the right. On being broken, the flesh of 
this fungus changes to a dull warm-brown colour. It 
grows in pastures and open places, amongst bracken, 
and is acknowledged on all hands to be one of the 
most delicious of esculents. 
Agaeicus melleus. —In our next illustration we 
have given, one-third the size of nature, Agarieus 
melleus. It was named melleus, on account of its 
colour being yellowish all over, like honey, “ mel.” 
It grows on dead stumps, and is extremely common 
everywhere. The stem is sometimes furnished with a 
woolly ring, whilst at other times it is ringless. The 
gills are attached to the stem in various ways, as shown 
by the three sections on the right; the top is clothed 
with minute fibrous scales. It grows in dense bundles, 
often a hundred or more together, in gigantic groups, 
and the white spores are often thrown down in pro¬ 
digious quantities on the grass or stumps beneath. 
This fungus has not been highly esteemed in this 
country, but on the Continent it is in great demand, 
enormous quantities being brought to the various 
markets for sale. 
AGAEICUS PROCERUS. 
Agaeicus nebularis. —The last illustration shows, 
one-fifth the size of nature, two plants of Agarieus 
nebularis, so called on account of the clouded appear¬ 
ance of the top, nebula, a cloud. This is a large 
fungus with a mouse-grey stem and darkish bistre or 
black-brown top, frequently clouded with light grey 
or white. The fungus grows amongst dead leaves in 
woods. A notable character is seen in the section 
where the gills run down the stem, and the edge of 
the cap is turned in, or is involute. Agarieus nebularis 
is considered rarer than the other five species we have 
illustrated, but in certain favourable seasons it grows 
in woods in great abundance. 
agaeicus nebularis. 
It is never safe to cook fungi without being sure of 
the species to be experimented upon. We therefore 
advise our readers, if they have any doubts about 
species of fungi, that they should consult the very 
large series of coloured drawings in the Department 
of Botany, British Museum, South Kensington. 
All edible fungi may be cooked satisfactorily in the 
same style as the common Mushroom, that is, they 
may be either fried with or without meat, in butter, 
or stewed; care should be taken to serve quite hot, 
for nothing is more wretched than a cold Mushroom. 
Edible fungi make good ingredients for meat pies. 
CUCUMBER CULTURE. 
It is a well-known fact that gardeners, as a 
rule, are about the worst paid of professional men, 
considering the knowledge they must possess, the 
anxious nature of their work, and the responsible 
positions they hold in most gentlemen’s establish¬ 
ments. Some, however, are more fortunate than 
others in being able to add a little to their incomes 
in the shape of well-earned prize-money at flower 
shows, and we should imagine that no one would 
blame a persevering man for making what extra he 
can honestly, and without in any way interfering 
with his employer’s time. 
Mr. A. C. Boffey is a gentleman’s gardener, also 
the respected Secretary of the Croydon Horticultural 
Society, and assisted as he is by a committee of good 
men, including Mr. W. Neal, formerly gardener at 
Woodcote Hall, Carshalton, but now a thriving 
nurseryman at South Beddington, and others who 
have proved that they can manage their own affairs 
successfully, are the right sort to carry on the work 
of a horticultural society in a business-like manner. 
Mr. Koffey has filled his office about eight years. 
Previous to undertaking these duties, the affairs of 
the Society were carried on in an indifferent manner, 
and it could scarcely pay its way, but when practical 
men came in who understood the work, and they were 
backed up by gentlemen like Philip Crowley, Esq., 
Waddon House, the results were all that could be 
desired. The Society is now able to hold two good 
shows a year, and has a balance of £100 in hand, 
besides increasing the classes and prizes each year. 
Mr. Roffey’s home, St Andrew’s Villa, Church Boad, 
is worth a visit. In his garden he has erected two 
half-span-roofed houses 41 ft. long and 11 ft. wide. 
The first is in two divisions, one for growing Cucumber 
plants for sale, and the other to afford large quantities 
of fruit of the same for cutting. The other house (see 
illustration) is planted with Cucumbers for seed, and he 
has quite a reputation in the neighbourhood for his 
fine strain of Rollison’s Telegraph. At the present 
time there are hundreds of fine even fruits hanging 
in clusters, four and five touching each other, some 
measuring 25 ins. long and 9 ins. in circumference, 
with scarcely any shoulder. The seed for this crop 
was sown on May 1st. The house is heated by a flow 
and return 4-in. pipe; the borders are about 4 ft. wide, 
and made 3 ft. high with ashes, on which are mounds 
of good yellow loam 1 ft. in depth. Only the best 
formed fruit are allowed to remain for seed, the others 
being cut as required for use. 
He also has some fine plants of Chrysanthemums. 
The early blooming varieties are most valuable when 
Dahlias are cut off with early frost. .The late ones are 
also very useful, Mrs. Carey especially, which was very 
full and fine at the end of February. The following 
are the varieties which Mr. Koffey finds most useful 
for cutting:—Early: Elaine, James Salter, Lady 
Selbourne, Soeur Melaine, Crimson King, George 
Gordon, and Guernsey Nuggett. Late: Mrs. Carey, 
Princess Teck, and Virginale.— 0. W. C. 
-— 
THE VICAR’S GARDEN. 
The immense advantage of having an ample supply 
of water is strikingly illustrated in our Vicar’s garden, 
which is situated in a dry locality, and on a sharp, 
shallow soil. The plants here have this season 
grown most vigorously, owing to the copious water¬ 
ings they have had, and this at no very great 
expenditure of labour, the watering having been done 
by means of a hose. The supply is obtained from 
the public water works, and the ground has 
received from time to time sufficient to keep it in 
a moist state at all times during the great drought, 
and everything in consequence has always been 
fresh and bright, and at no time, from the commence¬ 
ment of the season till now, has there been the 
least break in the supply of flowers; they have 
always been abundant, and the place gay and bright. 
What would otherwise have been bare spaces, 
where some of the early-flowering bulbs stand, was 
sown over with a few of the best kinds of annuals. 
Among the newer kinds specially deserving of 
