524 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
April 13, 1901. 
Iints for Amateurs. 
CHOICE EDIBLES. 
The articles that appear in these two columns deal 
mostly with plants to please the eye. This week we 
will have a change and talk about a few things to 
please the " inner roan Space will not allow many 
to be dealt with, so an endeavour must be made to 
select the choicest that can be grown without much 
expense and trouble. 
Mushrooms.—These are, for the greater part of 
the year, out of the reach of most people, owing to 
the price demanded for them. To those possessing 
a small back garden or a spare shed these need not 
be denied during the greater part of the year. Not 
only can sufficient be grown in a small shed to allow 
a generous supply for the family use, but also for 
market purposes where they always command high 
prices and a ready sale. The initial expense is not 
much. If a shed is available it should be fitted with 
shelves in the form of boxes about i ft. deep to hold 
the compost. The compost generally used is fresh 
stable dung. The long litter should be shaken out, 
and the remainder placed in a dry place where it 
should be frequently turned to prevent a too rapid 
fermentation. 
When sufficient has been obtained the boxes 
should be filled, well beating the successive layers as 
they are put in to make it firm, so that it will fer¬ 
ment more slowly, and thus retain the heat for a 
longer period. When filled to within 2 in. it should 
be left for a day or two to see if it is going to heat 
too much before putting in the spawn. If it is not 
likely to go over 8o° it may be spawned. The spawn 
may be bought very cheaply at horticultural stores, 
etc. It should be broken into about 2 in. pieces and 
pressed into the beds till level with the surface. The 
pieces should be about 9 in. apart. When this is 
completed the boxes should be filled up with moist 
loamy soil and pressed firmly. After a time as the 
heat of the bed declines a covering of long litter may 
be given. 
When the soil requires watering it is not advisable 
to pour the water on to it but to wet the litter, takirg 
care that warm water is used. In about six weeks 
from the time of spawning the Mushrooms will 
appear as little knots on the white mould-like 
threads, which will have covered the bed. When 
once started they grow very quickly and must be 
kept well looked after or the large ones will push the 
smaller ones over. They should not be pulled up 
but cut off close to the bottom. This prevents injury 
the others close to it. 
Mushrooms in the Open Air.— When grown out in 
the open they are subject to all sorts of weather and 
cannot be obtained for so loDg a period owing to the 
cold. The method employed for growing them in 
large quantities in the open is on ridge beds ; these 
are about 3 ft. wide at the bottom and run up to a 
sharp ridge. The dung used for this method need 
not be so free from litter as for the boxes, as it helps 
to bind the mass together, but it should be thoroughly 
saturated with urine, etc. It is firmly trodden, and 
spawned when the heat has declined to 8o° and then 
cased with about 2 in. of moist soil firmly pressed 
od. To keep off cold winds, rain, &c., the beds are 
covered with long litter, or a frame-work and mats 
are used. Mushrooms differ from most other plants 
in not requiring light for their full development, and, 
indeed, are grown to'greater perfection in total dark¬ 
ness than where light is admitted. Another way to 
obtain a small supply is to dig a trench in the garden 
about 1 ft, deep, and into it tread horse droppings 
and short litter. Cover thinly when spawned with 
soil, and beat firmly with a spade. A little straw 
must be scattered over the surface to check evapora¬ 
tion, and thus lessen the necessity for watering. By 
this simple method a fair supply of Mushrooms may 
be had for eight months during the year. The cost 
of the spawn bricks is about eightpence per square 
foot. 
Tomatos.—At the present day Tomatos may be 
bought very cheaply, but anyone with a piece of 
sheltered garden which gets a fair amount of sun¬ 
shine can grow them much cheaper if they employ 
the right means. If a wall or fence is available, 
which gets the sun for several hours during the day, 
a great many pounds of fine fruit may be obtained 
from a very few feet of space. It is the best to buy 
the young plants as it saves a large amount of 
trouble and more siurdy plants may be obtained. 
If the weather is nice they may be planted about the 
end of May. If the soil is poor the addition of a 
little well decayed manure will be beneficial. They 
should be planted about 1 ft. apart on the walls and 
18 in. each way in the open. Care must be taken to 
keep them tied up as the stems are easily broken. 
All side shoots must be carefully pinched out as they 
appear, when growing outside, as the season is only 
long enough to bring the earliest formed fruits to 
perfection. When about six trusses of fruit are 
formed on a plant, on a wall, the top must be taken 
off to make the plant throw its energy into the 
development of the fruit. If any leaves are in the 
way to hinder the free access of the sun’s rays they 
should be tied back but not cut off as the leaves 
elaborate the sap and thus produce highly flavoured 
fruit. Only four bunches should be allowed to 
remain on those in the open, which must be securely 
tied to stakes. They must never be allowed to 
become dry at the root or they will ripen their fruit 
prematurely. If the season is very wet the leaves 
are apt to .become spotted. When this is noticed 
they must be sprinkled with flowers of sulphur. On 
the first appearance of frost in the autumn all the 
fruit must be gathered and placed in a dry, warm 
and light position, such as that provided by a kitchen 
window where they will gradually ripen and produce 
a supply, often up to Christmas. Or the green fruit 
may be made into sauce which is equal to that made 
from the ripe ones. 
Cucumbers.—These may be grown in abundance 
all through the summer with the aid of a frame and 
a small bed of dung. The plant should be planted 
on a mound of soil in the centre of the frame. It 
will be found best to plant it in a laying down posi¬ 
tion or the stem is apt to snap off close to the ball. 
As the roots protrude through the soil more should 
be warmed and put round them. After the plant 
has made a good start the point should be 
pinched out to make it break; these lateral 
shoots should again be pinched at about the 
fourth joint. As the plant increases it will 
be found necessary to pinch often and to cut out 
all old stems that have done fruiting, where these 
can be spared without sacrificing too much of the 
young growth. The atmosphere must be kept moist 
by damping the sides of the frame several times 
during the day. It must net suffer from want of 
water at the root, and when this is applied it should 
not be poured too close to the main stem or collar, 
or the plant is likely to rot at this point. When the 
sun is very bright a light shading should be given. 
In hot weather air may be freely admitted but care¬ 
fully avoid cold draughts. When the sun is 
declining in the afternoon the whole interior of the 
frame should be well sprinkled with warm water, 
well damping the foliage as well. The ventilation 
must then be taken off so that a goed steamy heat is 
caused. It is much better if the material is handy 
to cover the frame at night so that the temperature 
does not fall too low. Where glass is not available 
for making the frame top, a very good substitute can 
be made by giving linen a coat of white paint. 
This will be found cheap and durable and perfectly 
waterproof .if stretched tightly. Where a warm 
position is obtainable there is a very good little 
variety of Cucumber that may be grown out in the 
open. It requires a little manure for the roots to 
ramify in ; and by stopping the shoots as advised for 
those in the frame, a great many fruits may be 
obtained from one plant. The variety is known as 
the Ridge Cucumber, it is only a very short grower, 
but very prolific, the plants often being covered with 
the short spiny fruits. The flavour is much better 
than the indoor ones. It is grown in large quantities 
round London for pickling, for which purpose it is 
well adapted when about half grown. 
Vegetable Seeds for Present Sowing.—Sow 
main crops of Peas for use in June and July. Early 
Potatos that have been forwarded in a warm place 
should be planted on warm borders to shelter and 
hurry them forward. Seeds of Cabbages, Cauli¬ 
flowers, Brussels Sprouts, Savoys and Red Cabbage 
for pickling should be sown without furiher delay. 
Onions, Carrots, Parsnips, Leeks, Parsley, Turnips, 
Radishes, Lettuces, Long Pod and Broad Beans 
roust all be got in without further delay if they have 
not been attended to earlier for various reasons. 
Vegetable Marrows.—These can hardly be called 
choice, but they can be grown for the household and 
serve another purpose at the same time. They make 
a very effective covering for small summer-houses, 
being very quick growers. They only require a light 
position and a piece of well manured ground and 
careful tying up. It is a plant that likes a large 
amount of water.— F. J. C. 
»l» 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
Anyone may give additional or more explanatory answers 
to questions that have already appeared. Those who desire 
their communications to appear on this page should write 
"Amateurs' Page " on the top of their letters. 
Window Culture of Campanula isophylla.— D• 
Marsland : There should be no difficulty in growing 
this plant in a window, provided you observe a few 
simple rules. Get some clean pots about 5 in. to 
6 in. wide, inside measurement; crock them well to 
insure drainage, and put some moss over the crocks 
to keep the soil in its place. For soil use good 
fibrous loam that has been stacked six or twelve 
months since it was cut, wiih about a sixth part of 
leaf mould, and sufficient clean sand to give the 
whole a gritty feel to the hand after it has been 
thoroughly mixed. Pot the plants in this rather 
firmly and water for the first time with a rosed can. 
Not very much water will be required afterwards till 
the plants begin to grow freely, but you must not 
allow the soil to get dost dry at any time. If you 
hang up the pots, which is the best plan, you may 
keep a saucer under the pets to prevent drip in the 
window, but you should empty out the water as soon 
as It has passed through the soil. 
How to get large Trusses of Hydrangeas on 
Single Stems.— A. T. W.: You can scarcely do this 
at the present time. Preparations should have been 
made in July last by taking off the growing tips of 
strong shoots when getting firm at the base. Put 
these singly into 3^-in. pots of rather sandy soil and 
stand the pots under hand lights or in a cold frame. 
Keep the lights perfectly close till the cuttings show 
signs of beginning to root, when air may gradually 
be given day by day. During bright weather you 
must of course shade the frame by day to prevent 
the flagging of the leaves, as that would delay 
rooting and probably destroy many of them. When 
well rooted, repot the plants into a larger size, and 
keep them growing in the frame till towards the end 
of the season when you should ripen off the plants 
by taking off the light and leaving the plants ex¬ 
posed night and day. Take them into a greenhouse 
before there is danger of frost injuring them. While 
growing feed them with liquid manure, and they 
should throw a fine truss of bloom in the frames 
or greenhouse next summer. 
Stocks Damping OfF. — W. D. Wilson : You must 
be keeping them too damp during the very un¬ 
favourable weather we have had. Your best remedy 
is to make up some boxes of light sandy soil and leaf 
mould. Make the soil firm and carefully prick out 
the seedlings into them, 2 in. apart each way. 
Water the seedlings with a rose can, after which 
they are not likely to require any more for a week. 
It will depend of course upon the weather, but very 
little water generally speaking will be required until 
the plants begin to grow strongly and tbe weather 
gets drier and warmer. 
Pruning newly planted Roses.— Uncertain : It is 
high time that all Roses were pruned now, whether 
recently planted or fully established. Cut back the 
strongest shoots to a good bud, leaving them 6 in. or 
8 in. long. The weaker ones may be cut shorter, 
and those that are finer than a crow quill should be 
cut back to a bud at the base. Before dry weather 
sets in you should get some short manure and spread 
it over the ground so as to maintain the moisture 
in the same, and the Roses will root all the better 
for it. 
Cuttings of Golden Privet.— R. W. Hill.: There 
is no difficulty in getting up a stock of this Privet. 
The stronger cuttings may be cut into lengths of 9 in. 
and dibbled into light soil in a shady position. The 
ground should be previously dug and enriched with 
some leaf soil. Water them occasionally in dry 
