January  7,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
5 
stand  the  two  varieties  raised  by  Mr.  Foster,  Brockhampton  Nurseries, 
Havant,  and  named  after  members  of  his  family. 
Miss  Violet  Foster. — This  is  of  American  origin,  and  is  a  promising 
variety.  The  blooms  are  full  size,  especially  well  built ;  the  slightly 
pointed  florets  incurve  perfectly.  The  colour — dull  purple  on  the 
reverse,  faintly  edged  with  silver — is  distinct. 
Miss  Dorothy  Foster. — A  decided  acquisition.  The  formation  of  the 
blooms  is  almost  perfect.  The  florets  have  a  distinct  resemblance  to 
Jeanne  d’Arc  in  formation,  being  chipped  at  the  edge.  The  colour  is  rose 
tinted  with  silver. 
William  Sp>arks. — Introduced  as  an  incurved  Japanese.  This  was 
shown  as  an  incurved  variety  during  the  past  season,  and  if  some 
elasticity  is  to  be  allowed  in  this  section,  exhibitors  would  do  well  to  add 
this  to  their  list.  The  reverse  of  the  slightly  pointed  florets  is  deep  lilac 
flushed  with  silver.  The  blooms  are  large  and  of  good  form. 
Mrs.  James  Eadie  — One  of  Pitcher  &  Manda’s  seedlings,  distributed 
by  Mr.  H.  J.  Jones.  The  blooms  are  large  and  of  good  form,  some  few 
florets  are  at  times  slightly  hirsute.  The  colour,  lilac  pink,  is  pleasing. 
General  Maurio. — .Raised  in  1894  at  Ryecroft  Nursery,  this  resembh  s^ 
in  some  degree  of  petal  formation  Jeanne  d’Arc,  except,  perhaps,  in  the’ 
new  variety  the  florets  are  stouter.  The  colour  is  soft  primrose,  each 
floret  is  tipped  yellow  when  opening.  This  is  a  promising  addition. 
Lyne,  jun. — This  is  from  the  same  source  as  General  Mauric.  In 
colour  chestnut  and  yellow  at  the  base,  golden  or  dull  yellow  in  the 
centre.  The  broad  florets  in<J*irve  regularly. 
Bonnie  Dundee. — A  favourable  opinion  was  arrived  at  of  this  last 
season.  The  formation  is  perfect,  the  colour  most  pleasing— yellow 
heavily  suffused  with  bronze,  with  an  additional  shading  also  of  mauve. 
J.  H.  Ranchman. — When  properly  cultivated  this  would  be  admis¬ 
sible  in  the  incurved  section.  It  is  now  classed  as  a  Japanese  incurved, 
but  is  much  too  small  to  take  a  high  position  in  that  class.  The 
florets  are  slightly  chipped  at  the  point,  incurving  perfectly  ;  orange 
yellow.  In  late  blooms  the  bronze  shading  is  pleasing. 
George  Haigh. — Though  not  exhibited  many  times  this  year,  sufficient 
blooms  were  seen  to  justify  the  high  opinion  formed  of  it  last  year.  The 
form  is  of  course  identical  with  that  of  its  parent— Robert  Petfield — 
from  which  it  is  a  sport.  It  is  a  full,  handsome  bloom,  rosy  carmine, 
centre  shaded  gold. 
DuGieis  of  Fife. — This  has  of  late  been  the  subject  of  some  comment 
in  the  horticultural  press  ;  it  was  certificated  as  a  Japanese  incurved. 
The  prevailing  opinion,  however,  seems  to  be  that  it  Bhould  be  relegated 
to  the  incurved  section.  Certainly  it  was  as  such  that  I  staged  it  for 
consideration  by  the  N.C.S.  Floral  Committee.  In  the  Japanese  section 
it  will  be  useless,  being  too  small  for  present  day  requirements  on  the 
exhibition  table.  As  a  back  row  bloom  in  the  incurved  section  it  should 
take  a  high  position.  The  blooms  are  quite  globular,  with  long,  closely 
incurving  florets,  tapering  at  the  point.  Early  formed  buds  give  pure 
white  blooms,  later  are  flushed  with  pink.  It  is  of  easy  growth,  carries 
abundant  foliage,  and  is  a  credit  to  the  raiser — Mr.  H.  J.  Jones. — 
E.  MOLYNEUX.  /m  .  ,  .  ,  . 
(To  be  concluded.) 
THE  GLAD  NEW  YEAR, 
Far  be  it  from  us  to  say  a  word  against  our  old  friend  just 
passed  away,  but  still  we  all  must  admit  there  is  room  for  improve¬ 
ment  in  1897.  But  it  is  not  alone  improvement  in  the  seasons  we 
hope  for,  there  must  be  improvement  in  ourselves.  Good  resolu¬ 
tions  are  excellent,  but  there  is  always  a  danger  of  making  far  too 
many  ;  a  few  well  carried  out  build  up  the  character  much  more. 
We  may  look  upon  this  New  Year  in  two  ways.  First  it  comes 
as  a  gift  of  time  direct  from  “  The  Lord  and  Giver  of  Life.”  We 
have  been  spared  to  make  a  fresh  start,  to  turn  over  a  new  leaf  ; 
our  names  are  not  on  the  list  of  those  good  men  and  true  for 
whom  time  last  year  merged  into  eternity.  We  are  left  to  carry 
on  our  work  and  theirs  ;  we  have  their  example  as  a  stimulus  to 
fresh  effort. 
Much  as  some  of  us  may  crave  for  rest,  still  when  a  long 
mortal  illness  comes  some  thoughts  must  be  very  saddening.  No 
more  shall  we  tread  the  old  familiar  garden  paths,  no  more  pluck 
the  flowers  our  hands  have  planted,  no  more  will  the  song  of 
birds  reach  our  dull  ear* ;  other  hands  will  work  where  we 
worked,  other  hands  will  reap  the  fruit  of  our  toil,  and  our  place 
shall  know  us  no  more.  Glorious  as  may  be  the  immortal 
flowers,  very  dear  to  our  hearts  are  the  humbler  denizens  of  the 
earth. 
We  have  begun  the  year,  let  us  not  at  the  cloie  (if  we  are 
spared)  have  to  look  back  regretfully  on  one  wasted  minute. 
There  is  an  old  motto  which  will  bear  repeating,  and  one  that  we 
should  do  well  to  write  on  our  hearts — “  Lost,  somewhere  between 
sunrise  and  sunset,  one  golden  hour,  set  with  sixty  diamond  minutes. 
No  reward  is  offered,  for  it  is  lost  for  ever.” 
Then  time  comes  as  a  talent — a  talent  to  be  put  out  to  usury — 
no  one  is  expected  to  work  beyond  his  powers.  Can  we  faithfully 
say  that  we  always  work  up  to  our  powers  ?  It  is  wonderful  the 
blessedness  that  comes  with  faithful  work.  This  work  must  not 
be  selfish  in  its  character  ;  we  ought  all  to  be  members  of  one  vast 
“  Mutual  Aid  Society.”  It  is  generally  the  busiest  man  who  can 
do  the  most  for  others  ;  the  idle  man  is  so  behind  with  his  own 
work  that  he  has  neither  time  nor  inclination  to  help  a  neighbour. 
There  are  always  opportunities  at  our  door  if  we  will  but  seize 
them,  and  it  is  not  (thank  God)  the  great  things  that  count  the 
most. 
The  master  craftsman  by  a  look,  word,  or  smile  may  encourage 
a  young  brother,  and  spur  him  on  to  greater  effort.  A  quiet 
appreciative  listener  may  ease  the  burden  of  an  overworked 
harassed  soul.  It  always  does  one  good  to  hear  of  similar 
difficulties  being  overcome,  and  it  is  wonderful  what  ideas  and 
suggestions  arise  when  a  knotty  point  ia  quietly  discussed  with  a 
tried  friend .  If  the  old  hands  can  thus  be  of  some  service  to  their 
younger  brothers,  these  stripling*,  too,  may  find  work  to  their 
hands.  The  cheerful  surrender  of  a  well-earned  leisure  to  help 
with  a  planting  or  pruning  job  in  a  neighbouring  garden  is  a  helpful 
discipline  which  must  have  a  good  effect  on  the  character.  If  the 
young  ’un  has  bad  a  little  technical  training  he  ought  to  have  many 
items  of  useful  information  for  an  outsider.  The  loan  of  a  book 
or  newspaper,  the  gift  of  a  cutting  or  a  few  seeds,  are  all  channels 
by  which  he  may  enrich  those  around  him,  and  raise  himself  out 
of  the  slough  of  self. 
In  the  lot  of  all  come  dangers,  but  one  of  the  greatest  dangers 
of  modern  times  is  the  desire  to  do  away  with  difficulties.  This 
looks  like  a  paradox.  I*  a  life  of  ease  the  best  and  highest  kind  of 
life  ?  No  :  it  is  only  by  fighting  difficulties  that  the  character  is 
formed.  Kingsley  used  to  sing  of  “the  brave  north-easter”  that 
made  Englishmen  what  they  are,  and  he  got  at  the  true  spirit  of 
the  thing.  Which  is  the  finer  man — the  soldier  perfect  in  autumn 
manoeuvre,  with  the  drill  at  his  finger’s  end,  or  the  man  who  has 
led  his  little  force  through  a  hostile  Afghan  pass,  or  within  range 
of  a  Zulu  assegai  ? 
Why,  it  is  the  very  fact  of  our  uncertain  treacherous  climate 
that  has  called  forth  the  best  efforts  of  our  horticulturists.  There  is 
no  credit  in  gardening  where  Nature  does  all  ;  our  young  men 
expect  so  much  more  than  their  fathers  ;  they  are  like  the  daughter 
of  the  horse  leach,  they  cry,  Give,  give.  Mind,  we  believe 
thoroughly  in  one  form  of  discontent — discontent  with  ourielves,  a 
discontent  that  leads  to  diligent  effort  and  greater  endeavour.  The 
higher  the  attainments,  the  greater  the  humility.  The  book  of 
Nature  is  so  large  that  even  those  who  have  studied  the  longest 
leave  much  of  the  lesser  unlearned.  Remember  time  is  short  ;  you 
have  no  guarantee  of  another  year.  “  Work  while  it  is  called  day, 
for  the  night  cometh  when  no  man  can  work.” — The  Missus. 
OUTDOOR  CULTIVATION  OF  MUSHROOMS. 
Having  grown  Mushrooms  in  the  open  air  for  several  years 
past,  a  few  notes  on  the  subject  may  be  of  interest  to  those  who 
have  not  tried  this  system  of  cultivation.  I  was  tempted  out  of 
the  beaten  track  of  growing  Mushrooms  in  houses  by  having  a 
copy  of  “  Mushrooms  for  the  Million  ”  placed  in  my  hands,  and 
no  apology  is  needed  for  referring  to  this  admirable  work  in  these 
pages,  as  it  should  be  in  the  po*ses*ion  of  all  who  wish  to  excel 
in  the  cultivation  of  this  esteemed  esculent.  We  possess  one  of 
the  best  Mushroom  houses  in  the  country,  but  it  is  rarely  used  for 
the  purpose  it  was  originally  intended  owing  to  the  better  crops 
and  superior  quality  of  the  Mushrooms  grown  in  the  open  air. 
It  is  an  advantage  to  make  up  a  bed  in  the  house  in  the  autumn, 
when  Mushroom*  are  required  daily  at  midwinter  for  home 
consumption,  as  during  severe  weather  the  outdoor  bed  *hould  not 
be  disturbed  more  than  is  necessary. 
When  the  Beds  Should  be  Made. 
September  is  the  most  suitable  month  for  a  beginner,  but  with 
a  little  practice  as  good  results  may  be  obtained  from  beds  made 
up  during  the  present  month  as  at  any  other  season.  Early  in  the 
autumn  of  1895  I  made  up  several  beds  which  were  not  »o  satis¬ 
factory  as  those  prepared  three  months  later.  This  was  owing  to 
the  hot  weather  experienced  throughout  September.  Two  years 
ago  at  midwinter,  when  the  thermometer  registered  nearly  30°  of 
frost,  some  beds  were  made  and  spawned  during  the  severe 
weather,  and  some  of  the  best  crops  of  Mushrooms  we  have  ever 
grown  were  obtained.  If  Mushrooms  are  grown  for  market  it  is 
not  advisable  to  make  up  beds  after  January,  otherwise  the  produce 
comes  in  when  prices  are  low,  and  should  warm  weather  prevail 
the  beds  will  soon  become  exhausted. 
Preparing  the  Manure. 
This  is  the  most  particular  part  of  the  business,  and  is  the 
stumblingblock  over  which  many  fall.  One  of  the  chief  mistakes  that 
is  made  is  in  not  having  the  manure  sufficiently  moist.  Manure 
prepared  for  beds  made  up  in  the  autumn  should  be  very  moist, 
whereas  when  used  at  midwinter  it  should  be  in  a  much  drier 
