438 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
November  IS,  1899. 
Heating  a  Propagating  House  ((?.  P.).  —  We  have  not  found  the 
-expansion  of  the  4-inch  pipes  to  cause  a  leak  where  entering  and  leaving 
the  cement  trough.  The  inside  of  the  tank  was  simply  cemented  in  the 
usual  way,  and  made  quite  close  about  the  pipes  in  the  brickwork,  as 
well  as  on  the  inner  surface.  With  water  in  the  trough  the  expansion 
and  contraction  is  equalised,  and  no  separation  takes  place  between  the 
cement  and  hot- water  pipes— at  least,  it  has  not  done  so  in  our  case. 
Fungus  from  Mushroom  Bed  (J.  H.  C.). — The  fungus  is  the  fortu¬ 
nately  not  common  Xvlaria  pedunculata.  It  sometimes  occurs  on  Mush¬ 
room  beds,  though  happily  we  have  not  had  it  to  combat,  and  practically 
ousts  the  cultivated  Mushroom,  Agaricus  campestris  var.  hortensis  The 
sclerotioid  base  of  the  invader  takes  possession  of  the  soil,  and  the 
mycelial  threads  spread  through  the  manure,  and  form  a  dense  stroma  or 
substance  between  a  corky  and  fleshy  consistence — irregular,  dirt}'  white, 
then  black.  Possibly  the  spores  of  the  fungus  or  the  mycelium  have  been 
in  the  soil  used  for  earthing  the  bed.  This  is  the  most  likely  means  of 
introduction.  It  chiefly  occurs  on  beds  that  have  been  nude  with  some¬ 
what  old  mauure,  which  ha9  not  been  subjected  to  the  usual  fermentation 
and  turning  before  making  up.  There  does  not  appear  any  trace  of 
Mushroom  spawn  or  mycelium,  the  threads  in  tbe  manure  being 
exclusively  those  of  the  Xylaria,  which  is  believed  to  luxuriate  chiefly  in 
unpurified  manure.  There  is  nothing  for  it  but  to  do  away  with  the  bed, 
clearing  all  out,  and  begin  afresh,  using  purified  material  and  rather 
strong  turfy  loam  for  earthing  the  bed  If  you  do  not  mind  trying  an 
experiment,  remove  the  portion  of  the  bed  that  contains  the  Xylaria,  with 
all  the  sclerotioid  base,  and  sprinkle  on  the  loose  material  4  ozs.  of 
common  salt  per  square  yard,  then  beat  firmly  with  the  back  of  a  spade, 
and  leave  for  a  month  or  six  weeks,  when  Mushrooms  may  possibly 
appear,  though  by  no  means  certainly. 
Woodlice  on  Mushroom  Beds  ( E .  S.  /.). — When  woodlice  get  possession 
of  the  Mushrooms  and  harbour  beneath  the  covering  they  are  rather 
difficult  to  deal  with,  and  we  have  no  experience  of  smoking  them  with 
either  tobacco  or  nicotine.  Possibly  the  Mushrooms  would  be  tainted, 
and  the  woodlice  not  be  reached  under  the  covering  of  litter.  The  most 
wholesale  means  of  destruction  is  to  scatter  a  little  steamed  or  boiled 
Potato  meal,  made  rather  dry  with  bran,  at  the  side  of  the  bed  formed  by 
the  wall  or  boarding  in  the  evening,  and  leave  there  covered  over  lightly 
with  litter,  then  early  in  the  morning  pour  boiling  hot  water  along  tbe 
baited  part  We  have  cleared  houses  by  this  process,  repeated  from  time  to 
time,  and  if  done  with  care  need  not  materially  prejudice  the  Mushrooms, 
though  some  must  suffer  on  the  part  where  the  scalding  water  is  used.  We 
do  not  approve  of  using  poisons  where  esculents  are  grown  We  have  found 
traps  formed  of  old  boards  cut  into  lengths  of  about  2  feet,  and  placed  on 
each  other,  that  is,  two  pieces  with  a  little  oatmeal  sprinkled  on  the  lower 
one  with  a  pebble  between  at  one  end  so  that  the  woodlice  can  get 
between,  feed  and  congregate,  very  useful,  covering  with  a  little  litter, 
and  in  the  morning  brushing  the  woodlice  into  a  pail  of  hot  water. 
Mangold  Wurtzel  cut  in  two  parts  transverely,  scooped  out  a  little,  and 
notched  around  the  edge,  inverted  on  boards  and  covered  with  a  little 
litter,  are  excellent  traps,  examining  them  every  morning  and  brushing 
the  woodlice  into  hot  water.  Persistence  iu  any  of  the  practices  named 
effects  a  clearance. 
Solanum  capsicastrum  ( Caxton ). — The  cuttings  should  be  taken  from 
the  best  form  of  berried  plants,  selecting  the  vigorous  growing  parts 
when  young  or  not  more  than  half  ripe,  inserting  in  sandy  soil  and 
placing  in  a  warm  propagating  frame.  Early  started  cut-back  plants 
give  the  best  cuttings,  and  afford  them  by  March  or  earlier  if  placed 
in  heat  during  January.  A  house  with  a  temperature  of  55°  to  65° 
will  start  them.  By  the  middle  of  Aprd  the  cuttings  will  have  rooted 
and  the  plants  placed  in  small  pots  and  stood  near  the  glass.  The  old 
plants  that  were  cut  hard  back  in  February  will  then  have  broken 
freely,  and  some  prefer  this  time  for  taking  the  cuttings,  rooting  them 
in  a  warm  propagating  frame.  The  old  plants  then  have  about  half 
the  soil  removed  from  the  roots,  and  are  placed  again  in  the  same  size 
pots,  Using  a  compost  of  turfy  loam  with  one-fifth  of  decayed  manure 
and  one-seventh  of  sand.  The  plants  are  grown  in  a  house  with  a 
gentle  warmth,  such  as  that  of  a  vinery  at  work,  and  have  any  shoots 
pinched  that  are  taking  the  lead.  Aphides  must  be  watched  for  and 
destroyed  on  their  first  appearance.  When  the  potting  is  recovered 
from  the  plants  are  gradually  hardened  and  transferred  to  cold  frames 
towards  the  end  of  May,  and  early  in  June  have  abundance  of  air  given 
them,  then  placed  in  the  pots  in  which  they  are  to  berry,  or  the  plants 
may  be  planted  out  if  a  frame  can  be  sec  apart  for  them  until  they  are 
well  established.  In  planting  them  the  base  should  be  firm,  so  that  they 
can  be  lifted  with  good  balls.  When  grown  in  pots  great  care  is  needed 
in  supplying  water  or  the  foliage  of  the  plants  turns  yellow.  'This  does 
not  occur  with  those  planted  out  under  ordinary  care,  and  the  plants 
frequently  attain  double  the  size  they  would  in  pots.  The  spring-rooted 
plants  are  treated  similarly  ;  if  grown  in  pots  giving  the  final  shift  about 
the  middle  of  June,  5-inch  being  large  enough.  About  the  middle  of 
September  the  plants  that  are  well  berried  and  have  been  planted  out 
may  be  lifted  and  placed  in  suitable  pots.  With  care  they  lift  with  fair 
balls,  and  may  be  reduced  to  suit  the  pots,  being  careful  not  to  destroy 
the  fibrous  roots.  After  potting  give  tbe  plants  a  thorough  watering, 
stand  them  behind  a  north  wall  for  about  ten  days,  when  they  will  have 
commenced  root  action,  and  can  be  placed  in  an  open  position  ready  for 
placing  in  a  house  with  a  greenhouse  temperature  before  frosty  weather 
sets  in.  Plants  that  are  setting  berries  freely  at  the  early  part  of 
September  should  bs  left  a  few  weeks  longer  before  they  are  lifted.  A 
temperature  of  40°  to  45°,  with  air  freely  at  and  above  50°,  suits  them. 
After  they  have  served  their  purpose  keep  them  rather  dry  for  a  time, 
cut  down  early  in  spring,  and  proceed  as  already  stated.  The  cause  of 
the  branches  dying  suddenly  is  commonly  au  attack  by  a  fungus,  Macro- 
sporium  Solani,  at  least  this  parasite  appears  on  the  dead  tissues,  and  the 
mycelial  hyphae  is  found  in  the  living,  but  diseased,  parts.  Dusting  with 
fungicide,  such  as  anti  blight,  has  been  found  to  ward  off  attacks  of  this 
“  sudden  collapse  ”  fungus. 
Manuring  Light  Soil  ((7.). — The  better  practice  is  to  dig  the  manure 
iu  so  that  its  fertilising  properties  may  be  diffused  through  aod  held  by 
the  soil  (in  part)  for  the  use  of  the  prospective  crop.  When  the  manure 
is  fresh  it  may  be  spread  on  the  surface  in  the  autumn  and  left  there 
until  the  spring,  when  it  can  be  dug  in.  We  have  seen  this  plan  answer 
well  on  light  land,  the  manure  being  sweetened  by  exposure,  and  con¬ 
siderably  more  reduced  than  when  dug  in  in  the  early  winter.  If  the 
manure  is  partly  decayed,  as  it  should  be,  having  been  sweated  to  destroy 
any  contained  weed  seeds,  there  is  no  question  of  it  being  best  dug  into 
light  ground  early  in  the  spring  ;  it  is  a  mistake  to  knock  light  land  too 
much  about,  or  dig  it  shortly  before  required  for  cropping  It  requires 
solidification  for  holding  plant  nutriment,  with  frequent  hoeing  during 
the  spring  and  summer  for  the  retention  of  moisture. 
Moss  Litter  for  Vine  Border  (  W.  H.'). — Iu  making  a  Vine  border  peat 
moss  litter  after  use  in  stables  could  not  wisely  be  used  for  the  lower 
portion — say  next  the  rough  drainage — for  it  would  resolve  itself  into  a 
dose  soapy  bog  soil-like  mass,  not  only  sour  but  impeding  the  free  passage 
of  water  through  and  from  the  soil.  The  proper  material  to  employ  on 
the  rough  drainage  is  smaller  stones,  not  larger  pieces  than  road  metal, 
and  on  this  a  3-inch  layer  of  old  mortar  rubbish  freed  from  bits  of  wood 
and  broken  up  rather  small.  If  sifted  with  a  quartpr-inch  sieve,  the 
rough — that  remaming  in  the  sieve — should  be  used  for  placing  on  the 
drainage,  and  the  fine  for  mixing  with  the  soil  for  the  border  It  would 
not  be  a  Disable  to  use  peat  moss  litter  manure  for  an}'  part  of  the  border 
unless  previously  mixed  with  a  tenth  part  of  air-slaked  lime.  Protect 
ihe  draina;e  with  turves  grass  side  downwards  before  filling  in  the  soil. 
Bark  of  Apple  Tree  Upheaving  and  Bursting  in  Vertical  Patches  (  W.  R. 
Raillem ). — We  have  the  sketches  of  the  last  year’s  specimen — tbe  portion 
"f  stock  as  well  as  scion — and  on  comparison  of  them  with  those  now 
submitted  assure  you  there  has  not  been  any  misunderstanding.  There 
are  the  usual  bacterial  bodies  that  accompany  decay  in  most  dead  vege¬ 
table  tissues,  and  even  the  form  known  as  Micrococcus  amylovorous 
which,  according  to  the  invest'gations  of  Professors  Burrill  and  Arthur 
in  the  United  States  of  America,  occasion  Apple  and  Pear  blight — “fire- 
blast.”  The  disease  is  certainly  a  very  siugular  one,  but  not  new  to  this 
country,  as  in  grafting  some  Melrose  Apple  scions  on  Paradise  stocks  we 
had  the  malady  on  both  stock  and  scion  thirty  years  ago,  and  regarded 
it  then  as  a  form  of  canker,  albeit  the  fruits  of  the  canker  fungus,  which 
appear  about  the  same  time  as  the  upheaval  and  bursting  of  the  bark  as 
by  this  parasite— namely,  November,  were  not  found  on  the  affected  parts, 
nor  the  mycelial  hyphae  of  it  in  the  bark  and  cambiai  layer.  The  spots  range 
from  f  inch  to  H  inch  in  length  by  £  to^  inch  in  breadth  and  longitudinally 
of  the  branches,  which  are  exactly  |  inch  in  diameter.  The  bark  cracks  and 
peels  off  lengthwise  of  the  wound  and  imparts  a  very  ragged  appearance 
by  its  upheaval,  and  is  quite  dead  down  to  the  wood,  between  which,  in  the 
cambiai  layer,  the  disease  spreads  in  the  living  tissues.  It  is  not 
impossible  for  these  to  be  poisoned  by  the  alteration  of  juices  set  up  by  the 
bacterial  ferment,  but  then  there  is  not  any  “fire  blight”  or  “fire  blast,” 
as  this  causes  limbs  affected  by  it  to  become  blackened  and  dead, 
together  with  the  leaves,  flowers  or  fruits  which  they  bear.  There 
nas  been  a  little  (not  much)  exudation  of  matter  on  the  surface  which  is 
stated  by  Professor  Arthur  to  be  dissolved  by  rain,  and  the  germs  set  free 
ind  washed  into  the  soil,  where  they  multiply  in  rich  mould  and  grow  all 
the  winter,  or  year  after  year.  Some  years  ago  Mr.  J.  Hiam  sent  us  some 
twigs  of  Pear  trees  similarly  affected  in  the  early  part  of  summer,  but  we 
failed  to  discover  the  Micrococcus,  though  there  may  have  been  some 
previously  having  been  washed  off  by  the  rain.  The  case  is  very 
interesting,  as  clearly  showing  a  disastrous  disease  that  appears  to  attack 
rees  of  rapid  growth  more  than  9low  growing.  We  can  only  advise 
cutting  out  the  wounds  down  to  the  living  bark  and  dressing  them  with  a 
paint  formed  of  Stockholm  tar  thinned  to  proper  consistence  for  application 
with  a  brush,  or  even  not  incising  the  wounds,  coating  them  well  with 
the  dressing  without  smearing  it  all  over  the  live  bark,  then  you  may  like 
to  give  the  ground  as  far  as  the  roots  extend  or  a  little  more  from  the 
stem  outwards  a  dressing  of  the  late  Mr.  Tonks’  canker-cure  mixture, 
4  ozs.  per  square  yard  and  leave 
consists  of : — 
the  rest  to  nature.  The  mixture 
Superphosphate  of  lime 
.  12  parts. 
Nitrate  of  potash  . 
.  10  „ 
Chloride  of  soda 
...  ...  ...  4  ,, 
Sulphate  of  magnesia 
2 
•••  ■*"'  >> 
Sulphate  of  iron  . 
.  1  „ 
Sulphate  of  lime  . 
•••  •••  •••  ^ 
We  carefully  examined  the  trees  in  Mr.  Tonks’  garden,  with  their 
thousands  of  canker  wounds,  and  found  their  cure  complete.  We  had  a 
vigorous  young  Ribston  Pippin  Apple  tree  affected  exactly  the  same  as 
yours,  and  on  precisely  similar  wood.  This  tree  we  undermined  and 
carefully  root-pruned.  After  placing  fresh  soil,  containing  lime  and  wood 
ashes,  round  the  roots,  and  mulching  in  summer,  we  obtained  a  “  network  ” 
of  surface  roots,  the  character  of  the  growth  was  altered,  and  no  further 
rupturing  of  the  bark  appeared.  The  wounds  were  cut  out  and  dressed 
with  Stockholm  tar,  as  above  advised.  Mr.  Tonks  did  not  cut  out  the 
wounds  of  his  trees,  and  they  healed  perfectly.  His  mixture  should  act 
beneficially,  whether  you  root-prune  the  tree  or  not. 
